St Cecilia's girls secure place in Junk Kouture final

The Derry girls received their ‘Silver Ticket’ entry to the final with their creation, ‘Paper Dreams.’

Now in its seventh year, the leading fashion and art competition for post primary schools challenges students to create unique, original and innovative outfits from recycled materials and junk.

Open to students from across the island, entries for 2017 surpassed all expectations, making it the biggest competition to date.

80 designs from each of the four provinces have become Silver Ticket winners.

Alison Mitchell, Customer Services Manager, Bank of Ireland, Strand Road, said: “The calibre of entries for this year’s competition has been fantastic and the judging panel have had a very tough job choosing the top 80 from each region. At the Millenium Forum on March 6, every entry will be uniquely choreographed to music, so we are really excited to see the models bring their designs to life on stage at the regional finals. We wish everyone the best of luck with the next stage of the competition.”

As part of the judging process, the public can get involved by casting a vote for their favourite design through the Bank of Ireland Junk Kouture voting app. Accessed through the BOIStudents Facebook page (www.facebook.com/BOIstudents), voting opens for one week before the regional competitions. Individuals can cast a single vote every 24 hours.

Votes account for 10% of the final mark and can make a huge difference in such a heated competition. Bank of Ireland is encouraging students to think innovatively about how they gather support through the voting app with a special Bank of Ireland Award in the mix for the Most Innovative Designer at the Grand Final in April.

For details on the full list of 320 regional finalists for Bank of Ireland Junk Kouture 2017, visit https://www.facebook.com/BOIstudents