With a gown constructed using thousands of pieces of LEGO, feathers and cloth, 16-year-old fashion designers Jenny Brady and Kate Barry wowed crowds at last week's Junk Kouture Regional Finals.
Aptly named 'Feathered LEGO Dreams', the showstopping creation of the two Calasanctius College TY students was one of three entries by Galway designers appearing at the Regional Finals, and was the only local group to make it through to the National Finals which will take place in Dublin in the coming months.
Inspired by the 'vibrant colours and textures found in nature', Brady and Barry say that they wanted to "create something that was both visually striking and meaningfully represented the beauty of reusing materials".
"We hope that our dress encourages people to see the value in items that are considered waste," explained Brady.
Creating the dress
Constructed using thousands of pieces of LEGO and feathers, over the last five months, the duo painstakingly hand sewed the feathers and glued the LEGO to a reused pop skirt taken from a wedding dress.
"We used thousands of pieces of LEGO which we glued onto individual, horizontal bands to alternate between the vibrant multi-coloured sections and the white feathered sections in the dress. The feathers on the top are densely packed to give a fluffy appearance," explained Barry, adding, "We wanted the dress to look like something from a Vogue catwalk."
Regional Finals
The pair's dreams of a catwalk creation came true during the Junk Kouture Regional Finals, when Brady donned the weighty gown to walk the catwalk in the Helix. As one of 160 contestants appearing at the two-day Regional Finals event, fellow designers from High Cross Secondary School in Tuam also shared the catwalk representing the west by displaying two designs titled 'Coral Caution' and 'Golden Swan'.
Now part of a reduced number of 60 successful contestants who made it through to the Junk Kouture National Finals, Brady and Barry attribute their success to Calasanctius College teacher, Mrs Tracey, who they say 'made the whole thing possible'.
"Without the support of Calasanctius College and especially Mrs Tracey, our Junk Kouture experience would not have been possible. Mrs Tracey supported us throughout the entire process," said Barry.
Such was Mrs Tracey's support that Brady recalls being able to hear her teacher's screams of excitement amidst the loud din of the The Helix's jam-packed event space.
"There were hundreds and hundreds of people shouting but I could still hear Mrs Tracey above everyone else," explained Brady with a laugh, going on to explain that it was comforting to hear a familiar voice during her nerve-wracking walk down the catwalk.
In addition to the support of Mrs Tracey, Brady and Barry have been encouraged by their parents, with Brady's parents, Kathy and Seamus and Barry's parents, Corrine and Johnny, helping to transport the gown and with the logistics of creating the dress.
Resourcefulness and creativity
"Junk Kouture has taught us a lot about resourcefulness and creativity and it has been an eye opener in understanding how much potential lies in materials we often overlook. It has inspired us to continue eco-friendly design solutions in the future," said Brady.
In addition to teaching the pair valuable lessons regarding resourcefulness and creativity, Barry says it has caused them to question fast fashion and the true cost of mass producing clothes for low cost.
"When I see the amount of work that we put into this one dress, it has given me a new appreciation when I go into shops and buy a dress now. I appreciate the time and effort that people put into making all these different clothes," said Barry.
"It has also highlighted the cost of fast fashion. I think that we need to move forwards and make an effort to end fast fashion and promote more sustainable practices around fashion and making the industry more sustainable in the future."
