Clodagh going to the Junk Kouture world final in Abu Dhabi

A student at Wilson’s Hospital School in Multyfarnham is to travel to Abu Dhabi next week to represent Ireland at the Junk Kouture World Final in Abu Dhabi.

Clodagh Ramsey, (14) was selected as one of 10 Irish teen designers who will be competing against students from New York, Milan, London, Paris and Abu Dhabi on January 11 in Etihad Arena, Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.

Clodagh created a dress called 'Bohemian Pampas Tree' - the competition’s first ever living design which requires daily water, air and light.

Her boho-inspired design truly represents sustainability as the organic materials have been borrowed from nature. Fluffy pampas collected from her garden makes the skirt. The bodice is made from wine and champagne bottle corks, cut into discs with living moss plugged in between.

Clodagh has planted living black grasses in cat food pouches which are placed on the shoulders. She has been watering both the moss and the black grass in her living outfit twice a day for the last 10 months, demonstrating her commitment to her design.

The beautiful Mohawk headpiece was inspired by Native American tribes and their respect for nature.

The design piece highlights how art and fashion can be fully circular as at the end of the competition the design will return to the soil.

Junk Kouture is the world’s largest youth sustainability fashion competition for students aged 13 to 18 years from participating schools across the UK, Italy, France, Ireland, UAE and New York, each of these countries having ten representatives in Abu Dhabi.

Clodagh, from Killucan was selected from the 60 Irish contestants, who presented their unique creations at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre in Dublin on May 5, 2022.

They were judged by Roz Purcell, Louis Walsh, fashion designer Stephen McLaughlin and singer Soulé. Clodagh was placed in the top nine contestants. Clodagh modelled her design on the catwalk to the music of Queen’s “Who wants to live forever.”

Clodagh was featured as one of just five of the contestants in the RTÉ Junk Kouture Documentary 'Behind the Seams'. Her section of this documentary was filmed at O’Meara’s Garden Centre.

She conveyed her message that fashion should not cost the earth and to counterbalance climate change we need to shop for clothes more purposefully and that each of us should consider planting more in our gardens to improve its biodiversity.

Junk Kouture has been part of the extracurricular programme at Wilson’s Hospital School for several years. Previous students have made it to the finals in Ireland, but this is the first time that the competition has become international.

Clodagh is excited to fly the flag and proudly represent both her school and country on the world stage. Clodagh, her mother and Ms Justyna Byrne (teacher and Junk Kouture coordinator at Wilson’s) are going to Abu Dhabi.

Junk Kouture pays for flights, accommodation and food for the winners and their coordinator. The dress is going to be packed by Clodagh as a part of their checked in luggage.

Junk Kouture got permission from the relevant authorities to bring the “living dress”. Just in case of any problems with the security at the airport, they are bringing substitute items which will replace the living parts of the dress (eg grass and moss) if necessary, but they hope this will not be required!