Microsoft is to sponsor the Junk Kouture global youth sustainable fashion competition, joining the likes of Etihad and Deloitte. Junk Kouture’s mission is to raise awareness and educate the next generation about circular systems in fashion and help develop tech and creative solutions which can work together to help drive change in the fashion industry.
The link-up sees Microsoft and Junk Kouture develop masterclasses that can be viewed on Microsoft’s Flip platform, a video discussion app to share videos and build communities by learning together. Flip will be the main platform to connect masterclass experts in fashion and sustainability with the global creative community of educators and students.
Junk Kouture is open to 13-18-year-olds. The competition invites them to design, upcycle and create high end fashion from 100 per cent recycled materials before showcasing their designs at live events worldwide. Dubbed ‘The Eurovision for fashion and creative young people’, the contest reinvents junk by creating eye-catching garments for catwalks.
Empower
The programme includes an in-school platform that reaches over 850,000 students in 1,150 schools and is currently active in six countries, including the US, UK, Ireland, France, Italy and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Over the next ten years, Junk Kouture aims to empower the lives of a billion young people across the world through creativity and sustainability.
Joshua Osabuehien and Solomon Eduard (above) from Cnoc Mhuire secondary school in Longford won the first Junk Kouture World Final and were crowned the World Sustainable Designer of the Year. ‘Back to the Future’ was a mix of wire tubing, foam packaging and sheets of aluminium from a builder’s yard, an old shin guard, cable ties and fish wire.
Tale of Two Pods (pictured), by Katie Molloy (model), Eimear Keenan and Samantha Irwin from Moate Community School, was made from Nespresso capsules. Junk Kouture is chaired by Justin Cullen, who led the digital transformation programme at Core. Cullen founded the Institute of Sustainablity Studies (ISS) online education for SMEs.
