Vote for
Fiona’s Junk Kouture

Local student, Fiona O’Connell from Abbeyleix has recently qualified for the Grand Final of the Junk Kouture Recycled Fashion Competition with her entry “Sycamore Samuri”.

Her creation was skillfully made using preserved autumnal leaves as well as tree bark and branches.

With the costume made and performance choreographed, Fiona and her team, Sophie Cairns (model), Maeve Lowther (make-up) and Ms Trini Kenny (art teacher) now turn their attention towards the online public vote to strive towards success.

The vote is run through the ERP Ireland Facebook page and takes place this week, running from Monday April 14 to midnight Friday April 18.

Those who want to support Fiona and her team can go to the ERP Ireland/ “Sycamore Samurai” Facebook page, follow the voting link, scroll to find “Sycamore Samurai” and click on the heart icon to cast a vote.

People can vote once every twenty-four hours per Facebook account. This vote will be counted alongside the overall judging of the 80 national finalists.

Junk Kouture is a national competition for second level students in Ireland and Northern Ireland which challenges teenagers to create high-end wearable fashion from everyday junk that would normally find its way into the bin.

Junk Kouture aims to inspire and ignite passion in these teenagers while at the same time subtly educating them about the importance of recycling and reusing waste for the good of the planet. In the last three years, Junk Kouture has established itself as the premier fashion competition for teenagers throughout Ireland. Laois students have already done very well in this competition.