NWRC student named as Junk Kouture judge

A North West Regional College, Derry student from Buncrana has been named as a '˜Junk Kouture' judge.
Karen DevlinKaren Devlin
Karen Devlin

Bank of Ireland Junk Kouture, Ireland’s premier recycled fashion competition, returns for a seventh year bringing new faces to the judging panel who have plenty of experience in the fashion industry.

Previous prize winner Karen Devlin will make her judging debut at the Western Regional Final in Castlebar on March 8th as a student Judge.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Karen is a past pupil of Scoil Mhuire, Buncrana andbis currently in her second year of studying fashion and textiles in NWRC Derry, and hopes to follow up with a degree in textile design.

Having previously participated in textile workshops in Milan, Karen now specialises in printed textiles/surface design.

Karen was a contestant in the 2013 competition with her design ‘Dancing with Wolves’.

It was inspired by nature and consisted of raw materials such as sheep’s wool, twine, twigs and dried flowers. Her design captured the attention of the judges and she was crowned the northern regional winner.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Karen commented: “I will be interested in the textile aspects of this year’s designs. The manipulation techniques applied to the recycled materials such as knit, weave, crochet, and embroidery are factors that I will be looking out for. I would love to see students taking inspiration from upcoming trends, catwalk shows or even films to create a haute couture piece. Bank of Ireland Junk Kouture is a fantastic platform for any creative career, and helped me build some great friendships and connections within the industry. I would definitely encourage students to enter as it proves a great opportunity for creatives to showcase their talent and nothing can compete with the overwhelming thrill you get from seeing your design on stage.”

Karen will be part of a strong judging panel of fashion experts including womenswear designer Rhys Ellis, Limerick School of Art and Design’s Tracy Fahey and Griffith College’s Jane Leavey who will help determine the regional finalists that will progress to the extravagant Bank of Ireland Junk Kouture Grand Final, in the 3Arena, Dublin in April 2017.

Online registration will open on January 9th and close at midnight on January 27th 2017 on www.boijunkkouture.com

Sara Ryan, Head of Operations at Bank of Ireland Junk Kouture said: “We are delighted to announce Karen as a judge for the Western Regional Final this year. She will bring her unrivalled knowledge of fashion to the competition, which will ensure a very high calibre judging panel for teenagers entering the competition this year.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Speaking at the announcement, Laura Lynch, Head of Youth Banking, Bank of Ireland said: “As the bank that supports young people both at a local and national level we are very excited to support this fantastic competition. It is great to see Karen Devlin, a past winner not only pursuing her career in fashion but coming back to where it all started to help with this year’s judging panel. Bank of Ireland Junk Kouture continues to grow and evolve each year and we are so proud to be part of what has become such a major event for secondary school students across the country. Since 2012 Bank of Ireland has worked closely with the Junk Kouture team to create an experience that is unparalleled for students who have the opportunity to unleash their creative potential through design and performance.”

Keep a look out for hints and tips for this year’s entrants on the BOIStudents FACEBOOK page. Bank of Ireland Junk Kouture is open to all second level students. For further information, please visit www.Boijunkkouture.com, Facebook or Twitter.