Kilkenny students to strut their stuff on the catwalk in Junk Kouture big finale

Kilkenny students will strut their stuff on the catwalk on RTE television, donning their outfit made from recycled materials transformed into runway magic.

Junk Kouture returns to Dublin this evening (Wednesday) to celebrate Ireland’s most creative young minds at The Helix. After two successful regional finals in March, 60 talented design teams from across the country will gather in the capital to battle it out for a place in the Junk Kouture World Final 2025.

'Tangled in Trash' is the project by Aine Bambrick, Katie O’Keeffe and Jodie Lindsay from Presentation Secondary School, Loughboy, Kilkenny. It is created from bubble wrap from padded envelopes and metal cans. The girls designed it to raise awareness about improper recycling and highlight the importance of correctly sorting materials into their designated categories.

Celebrating its 15th year of creativity, innovation, and climate-conscious design, Junk Kouture continues to champion the next generation of Irish creatives. Each design featured in the show is aligned with at least one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), encouraging students to use fashion as a vehicle for change and to address environmental and social issues through their creativity.  

Young designers aged 12–19 will take the stage, showcasing incredible wearable works of art, crafted entirely from recycled and repurposed materials in a high-energy, performance-based fashion show like no other. Best of luck to the Presentation Kilkenny girls.

The event promises a night to remember, beginning with pre-show entertainment courtesy of Junk Kouture’s event partners, including a live DJ set to set the tone for an evening of dazzling designs and unstoppable talent.

This year’s judging panel features some of the fashion and entertainment industry’s brightest stars including Claire Garvey, renowned Irish couture designer, Mariusz Malon, fashion designer and Junk Kouture alumnus and Zeda the Architect aka Oyindamola Animashaun a visual artist, stylist, journalist and producer. Guiding audiences through the night will be presenters India Sasha and Fionnuala Moran.

EUROSPAR returns as the headline partner for Junk Kouture 2025. Attendees can also look forward to a fun and interactive pre-show activation from EUROSPAR. Meanwhile, DHL Express Ireland also returns as Official Logistics Partner.

For those who didn’t manage to grab a ticket to the now sold-out show, RTÉ will air the event on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player on Monday, May 19 at 7pm, bringing all the action straight to your screens at home.
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As part of the event coverage, RTÉ will also speak with Clodagh Ramsey, the 2024 Junk Kouture World Designer of the Year, about her inspiring journey on RTÉjr’s climate and nature podcast, Ecolution. The special episode will be available on Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts on May 14.

At the end of the night, ten design teams will be crowned Junk Kouture World Finalists, earning the chance to represent Ireland and compete against peers from the UK, USA, France, Italy, and the UAE later this year at the global showcase of youth innovation.