The Donegal man behind the unique ‘Junk Kouture’ fashion show is to go global with the venture.
Ten years ago, Buncrana man Troy Armour took over the recycled fashion competition which challenges second level students to create wearable designs from junk materials.
Last week, the students and teachers of Carndonagh Community School were crowned champions of the prestigious ‘Junk Kouture 2020’ on RTE television.
Three fifth-year students – Brónach Harkin, Robyn O’Donnell and Orlaith Doherty – spectacularly managed to transform discarded sea waste into a work of art.
CEO of Junk Kouture Troy Armour said: “Well done to all our 2020 finalists who waited so patiently for their moment to shine. I hope everyone watching on TV here in Ireland and in our new international territories on RTÉ Player enjoyed this spectacular show. As always, I am in awe of the talent among these remarkable young people. I would like to extend a huge congratulations to our overall winners Brónach, Robyn and Orlaith – they embody everything that Junk Kouture is about. They have a flair for fashion and sustainability is at the heart of this fabulous creation. I am sure these young creatives have bright futures ahead of them.”
Director of Creative Ireland Tania Banotti said: “The Creative Ireland Programme is delighted to congratulate Robyn, Brónach and Orlaith from Carndonagh, Donegal on their fantastic design. We celebrate their amazing use of recycled materials that includes jam jars, sea glass and milk cartons. An enormous congratulations must also go to their teacher Pauline McDermott who has guided her students so successfully in this wonderful project. The enthusiasm and skills demonstrated by all the entrants has been wonderful to witness and we celebrate their hard work, their vision and their commitment to a greener world.”
Meanwhile, this successful format of recording finalists remotely and producing a show for broadcast will continue into 2021. As always, the golden rule is that the outfit must be made from 100% recycled materials. Registration for the 2021 competition is open now for students across Ireland and the UK until Friday 19th April. Head to junkkouture.com now for more on how to enter or register on the brand-new Junk Kouture app available to download for IOS and Android.
In September 2021, Junk Kouture will begin its expansion into exciting new territories such as France, Italy, the USA and the UAE.
On the same night as the grand final, Mr Armour also announced that his team has just launched Junk Kouture in five new countries around the world.
Next year they will bring digital competitions to New York, Paris, Milan, London and Abu Dhabi.
“These, along with our Irish competition, will then be brought together for the first ever
“Junk Kouture World Final in late 2022,” he said.
Seven new territories will also complete the Junk Kouture Global Tour in 2022. They are Los Angeles, Tokyo, Sydney, Singapore, Auckland and Cape Town.
Next year will see finalists from 13 countries compete to be crowned the Junk Kouture World Designer of the Year, in front of a global audience.
“With amazing prizes up for grabs, this event will be a fusion of the most exciting, emerging designers and artists from across the world,” he added.
The competition started from humble beginnings in Inishowen, before being extended to the rest of Donegal.
It is now a prestigious national competition which boasts high profile judges such as Michelle Visage of RuPaul’s Drag Race fame and music manager Louis Walsh.
Troy Armour
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