Safe to say it's a winner: Alicia wins Junk Kouture 2021 with design made from seatbelts and charity shop finds
South East Region and Overall Winner of Junk Kouture 2021: 'Iconoclastic Fantastic' made by Alicia Rostermundt from Coláiste Bríde, Enniscorthy, County Wexford. Pictures: Ger Duffy
This haute couture design really managed to live up to its name — and then some.
‘Iconoclastic Fantastic’ has won over the judges to become 11th winner of Junk Kouture.
Enniscorthy exchange student, Alicia Rostermundt (17) worked on a gender-neutral creation inspired by Jean-Paul Gaultier and Janelle Monáe — made from seatbelts and second-hand trouser suits.
The design created by Alicia, who attends Coláiste Bríde, Enniscorthy, County Wexford, reigned supreme over 39 other designs to be crowned the winner of the 2021 Junk Kouture Grand Final.
As always, the golden rule was that all outfits were made of 100% recycled materials and it was safe to say that this year’s used bike helmets, yoga mats, silage wrap —and even old tights — as haute-couture creations.
Alicia, an exchange student from Germany studying in Wexford, wanted to create a design that was for everyone, fashioning a gender-neutral outfit that wouldn’t look out of place on the catwalks of fashion week. The overcoat was made from an old tent base, hundreds of seatbelts found in scrapyards and webbing from old furniture. These were intricately woven, hand-sewn together and worn over a chequered second-hand trouser suit from a charity shop, which Alicia trimmed with metres of frayed and plaited seatbelts. An old sun hat, half an old jewellery box and reflective tape painted in black and white were used to make the show-stopping headpiece.
The Junk Kouture judging panel featured Roz Purcell, Louis Walsh, Michelle Visage, and Stephen McLaughlin; plus technical judges Dr Tracy Fahy of the Department of Fine Fine Art and Education in Limerick School of Art and Design and Jane Leavy, programme director of fashion design at Griffith College.
Speaking about the winning design, Junk Kouture judge Roz Purcell said: “There were over 100 seatbelts gathered from a scrapyard and you would not even notice. When she walked in, it looked like it had come off the runway. Only when you came up close you realised this couture gown was made out of junk. It was absolutely fantastic, extremely well-executed and she did it all by herself. I would wear it!”
Louis Walsh said he wouldn’t be surprised if the students who appeared on the show will be curating their own fashion collections in the future: “Junk Kouture gets better and better each year and we are going to have some amazing designers out of this!”
Four other designs were crowned regional winners during the show:
- East Region winner 頌歌大龍 (‘Songge Da Long’) by Grace Kenneally from Dundalk Grammar School, Co. Louth, made from vintage Vietnamese silk, Ao Dai coat, ballet leotard, old bra, pillow case, duvet, chiffon curtains, chiffon ballet skirt, black collared shirt, boning ribbons from horse riding rosettes, old work trousers, rope, silica beads and palm leaves. Inspired by ancient Eastern Asian fashions, 頌歌大龍 represents the designer’s Vietnamese and Chinese heritage.
- South region winner ‘Ephemeral Bloom’ by Brenda Lim, Brianna Sheehan and Molly Jackson from Coláiste Nano Nagle, Co. Limerick, made from bedsheets, construction mesh, paper coasters, wire, pearl necklaces, lace, a corset from a wedding dress, cardboard, copper, yoga mats, copper wires, flip-flops, socks, Styrofoam and newspaper. The influence of an Asian heritage and designer Yumi Katsura inspired this creation.
- West region winner ‘Jeaneology’ by Lucy Mitchell from Moate Community School, Co. Westmeath, made from old denim jeans, curtain cord, beads, old pearl earrings, metal zips and buttons. Inspired by endless colours, shades and textures from famous artists the designer admired, including Van Gogh, Vermeer and Frida Kahlo are featured.
- Creative for a Cause Award: 'Save This Image' made by Aoibhínn Ginty, Shannon Moran and Leah Hanlon from Cnoc Mhuire Secondary School, Co. Longford. Design is made from waste copper wires and cables.
- Glamour Award 2: ‘Netiquette’ made by Joyce Conway, Cora Farrell and Áine Maxwell from Moate Community School, Co. Westmeath. Design is made from clear plastic sheeting, wool, used plastic netting recycled from a garden centre and plastic bags.
- Finishing Touches: 'V.I.Pea' made by Shauna Jameson and Sarah Skelly from Our Lady's Bower Secondary School, Co. Westmeath. Design is made from wasted pea pods and red onion bags.
Enterprise Award: ‘Alarming Twists’ made by Ellen Rowny, Fial Dalton, Chloe Cross, from Mountrath Community School, Co Laois. Design is made from old alarm cables and wires, plastic bottles and plastic bags.
- Most Unusual Material Award: 'Inside Out' made by Rhianna Heffron and Katie McCaw from St Louis Grammar School, Ballymena, Co. Antrim. Design is made 100% from old and ripped tights, stockings, pop socks and an old, recycled zip.
- Teacher of the Year: Sarah Nestor, Coláiste Nano Nagle, Limerick.
And if anyone is feeling inspired after the Grand Final, teachers of young creatives aged between 13 – 18 in Ireland have from January 20 to February 3 to submit their completed designs via the Junk Kouture mobile app for the 2022 competition which will culminate in the first-ever World Final!
junkkouture.com/digital-competitions-2021/dublin/ @junkkouture, TikTok @junkkouture and YouTube channel junkkouture
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