PICTURES: Abandoned Electric Picnic tents among items used for Laois Junk Kouture designs

Abandoned tents from Electric Picnic, recycled flower pots and repurposed fuel bags are some of the items Laois students have used to design dresses for this year’s Junk Kouture competition. Four Laois schools are set to represent the county at the prestigious Junk Kouture competition when the regional finals take place next month. Heywood Community School, Scoil Chríost Rí in Portlaoise, Coláiste Íosagáin, Portarlington and Mountrath Community School will all showcase their fabulous designs in the regional finals in the Helix in Dublin over three nights, March 9, 10 & 11.  CONTINUE READING BELOW PHOTO

Scoil Chríost Rí's  ‘An Address Made of Fabric’ 

Scoil Chríost Rí students Mollie, Jessica and Abbey created their sustainable design ‘An Address Made of Fabric’ using abandoned tents left behind at Electric Picnic. After the festival ended, hundreds of tents were dumped, even though many were still usable. The students collected this waste and transformed it into fabric, cutting, cleaning, and stitching it together to give the material a second life.

The dress focuses on Ireland’s growing homeless crisis. Tents are often seen as temporary shelter, but for many people they have become a permanent “address.” By using festival tents, the piece highlights the uncomfortable contrast between privilege and survival.

“The bold colours reflect the carnival and theatre atmosphere of Electric Picnic, but they also represent the circus-like nature of the government’s response to homelessness — loud, messy, and full of promises, yet lacking real solutions,” said the girls.

The bright colours and eye catching face gems that they found in a tent at EP, force the viewer to look closer and feel uneasy. This dress isn’t just about fashion; it’s about starting conversations and questioning how waste and homelessness are treated in Ireland today.

As well as discarded tents the students used ponchos, zips from the tents, face gems and boots left behind at the festival.

READ NEXT: Frustration voiced over Portarlington flood plan delays

Mountrath Community School has two projects that have qualified for this year’s Junk Kouture Regional Finals.
Students Mary Kate Milne and Sinéad Fitzpatrick have designed ‘When The World Runs Black’, a dress created from repurposed fuel bags.

“The dress creates the image of what the world may look like if people continue to use non-renewable materials irresponsibly, potentially creating a dark and dull future world,” the students explained.

They took inspiration from the dark colours commonly associated with fossil fuels and the lighter colours associated with clean air and a renewable future, also from pop celebrities including Lady Gaga and her unique style in the 2000s.

Throughout the trial and error process Sinéad and Mary-Kate decided the best way to create something beautiful out of these bags was to layer different sizes of the material before shaping them into flowerlike pieces and sewing them onto an old waistcoat and the other fuel bags which would then be used as the skirt.

The dress and its colours symbolise a future where the world is darkened by pollution, if these resources continue to be drained instead of society adapting its ways.

The second project to qualify from Mountrath Community School is Diary Blossom made by Avril Phelan , Katie Wallace and Cara Phelan.

This dress was made from leftover wire, milk filters and milk cartons.

“The reason we used these materials is because we wanted to celebrate women in agriculture and how dedicated they can be, while also showing the challenges farmers face today due to the Mercosur farming protests where farmers are standing up to protect their jobs. Our dress was made to represent the strength of local farmers while highlighting the importance of supporting women in agriculture,” the students explained.

READ NEXT: Mystery revealed as Laois community invited to join 'legend of Irish music' in Irish soccer anthem video

Heywood Community School has two projects going through to the regional finals that both have a strong message.

Planting Potential by Aaliyah Troy, Jessica Lawlor and Ashling Gonzalez is a dress transformed from garden waste, made using recycled plastic flowerpots, inspired by the Dior Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2025 collection.

The girls design was inspired by a team member whose family flower shop was closing, providing materials that would otherwise have gone to waste.

The students learned to melt, cut, weave, sew and reshape plastic while highlighting the issue of single-use plastic in the gardening industry.

The second project ‘Fit2Function’ has been created by students Fatima Shah, Veronika Stoyko and Lacey Dalton.

They used recycled and repurposed materials that would normally be thrown away representing resilience and empowerment, reflecting strength, confidence and adaptability.

The dress also highlights the issue of gender inequality in developing countries, sharing the message that everything - and everyone - has value and potential.

Fit2Function has also been shortlisted as a finalist in the ReLove Fashion competition. This national competition challenges young people to design outfits using pre‑loved textiles from charity shops or home.

Students from Coláiste Íosagáin, Portarlington drew inspiration for their design from their experience as Irish dancers and football players.

Transition year students Lucia Mannion, Mia Mannion and Holly Kiernan created ‘Gemini’ which represents duality, what is seen on the surface and what lies beneath.

“As athletes, we understand that behind every performance and every match lies discipline, resilience, and countless hours of unseen effort. We wanted Gemini to celebrate that hidden work and perseverance, while also highlighting the impact of human actions on the environment,” they said.

“Our inspiration came from the idea of mining deep within the earth, uncovering crystals layer by layer, a process that mirrors how strength is built through patience and persistence.

“During the construction phase, we focused on transforming waste into something purposeful through detailed craftsmanship. We pleated and sewed layers of scrap denim to demonstrate how discarded fabric can be reshaped into something strong and meaningful. “Aluminium can tabs were carefully woven into the hems of the denim, not only to reduce waste but also to symbolise the metals extracted from the earth and the environmental cost behind everyday materials.

“We reworked an old play tunnel to create erosion-inspired textures, representing how landscapes are shaped and damaged through extraction. Its Velcro was reused to secure our headpiece, ensuring nothing went to waste. Using floor underlay and chicken wire, we sculpted a bold headpiece inspired by the structure of a cave. Jigsaw pieces represent the missing parts left behind in damaged environments and unfinished athletic journeys, while CDs reveal hidden “crystals” within the cave. Medals were included to honour the perseverance and commitment behind every sporting achievement.

“Much like sport, where success is built on dedication and effort behind the scenes, Gemini reflects the value of hard work, creativity, and resilience.”

The students thanked their teacher Ms. Caroline Kingston for her guidance, encouragement, and collaboration with the project.

Junk Kouture is a global sustainable fashion competition for students aged 12 to 19 that challenges students to create a high-end wearable outfit from 100% recycled materials and everyday junk.