Junk Kouture: It’s Literally “Junk”!

Junk Kouture is a fashion competition in secondary schools for people aged thirteen to eighteen. It occurs in places such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, Paris, Milan, Abu Dhabi, and New York City. Classrooms are dedicated to helping teenagers create couture clothing made from “junk” or recycled materials. The competition’s goal is to promote sustainable fashion. Designs are entered into the contest and some are chosen to be on the television series Junk Kouture where they are judged until a global winner is announced. 

Many students’ Junk Kouture projects have gone viral in 2023, specifically in January when submissions were sent out. There was a widespread trend where people revealed the designer of a large clothing brand and then the designs themselves. Teenagers involved in Junk Kouture began to imitate the videos by first showing themselves and then the couture outfit they recently finished and entered into the contest. The materials used to create the designs ranged anywhere from cut-up maps to shards of broken mirrors. Viewers were shocked by how creative and talented the designers were. Viewers were also impressed by the appeal to environmental safety and health: a common concern among the younger generation. As climate change has had increasingly noticeable effects, Gen-Z in particular has valued innovation toward preventing and diminishing global warming. Junk Kouture has established itself by finding a way to blend a passion for fashion with a passion for sustainability. 

The head of Children’s and Young People’s Programming, Suzanne Kelly, stated, “I am amazed at what our students from all over the country continue to produce as they embrace the principle of sustainable living and unleash their inner creative genius to produce incredible fashion designs” (RTE).