HOW TO ‘WEAR YOUR WASTE’
FASHION INDUSTRY ETHICS-BASED COMPETITION GRABS THE IMAGINATION
ONE man’s trash is another man’s riches and that was certainly the case for participants in the Millstreet Community School promoted ‘Wear Your Waste’ initiative.
The initiative, organised by the Transition Year Development Education group, saw students visit local national schools to invite participation in addition to working with First Year students in their own school.
Co-ordinator John Magee said the project encouraged groups to design an outfit or accessories from items found in the recycling bin in their homes.
“The event was timed to coincide with Fashion Revolution Week that acknowledges a global movement calling for a fairer, safer, cleaner and more transparent fashion industry,” said John. “The TY students want to encourage people to think about the clothes they buy, and ask who actually makes them and whether these workers are treated fairly in the process of manufacturing garments that cost us very little to buy.”
Adjudication of entries was carried out by Mallow based fashion design student Ciara O’Connor and Hazel O’Malley, who owns a vintage clothing shop in Killarney called Hazel’s Nuts.
Having collected recycling trash, a busy few weeks saw participants display and model their attires from recyclable goods such as newspapers, empty Actimel cartons to tops from coffee jars and much more. A terrific atmosphere surfaced on presenation night, which saw the fare interspersed with music and dance.
From the secondary school category, taking first prize were Linda and Ethan Desmond from Millstreet Community School with their presentation ‘A Rainy Day’. Runner up place belonged to ‘Polka Dot Roses’ presented by Isabel Sinbanda, Claire Lyons, Katie Morley and Imaan Ahmed also from the host school.
And taking third place was ‘Actimel Wings’ by Millstreet Community School pupils Noman Malik, Craig Sibanda and Tomás Cronin.
There were great entries too in the national school category: first place to Millstreet Presentation NS’s Smitte Railaite, Amanda Lichorobiec and Hailey Enright with their entry titled ‘Paper Queen’. Derinagree NS took runner up with ‘Foxy Rock’ from the creative talents of Eabha Sheahan, Grainne O’Connor and Grainne O’Sullivan. Earning third place was Cloughoula NS’s Luke Ryan, Michael O’Donoghue, Eoin Moynihan and Gearoid Moynihan with a subject entitled ‘ Páipéar Boy’.
Spokesperson John Magee saluted all involved. “It proved a very memorable event. The teachers in the local national schools who encouraged their pupils to get involved should be commended on their efforts.
“The event proved to be a great opportunity to raise the issue of ethical and sustainable fashion, and to encourage us to ask big fashion brands: ‘ who made my clothes?’,” he said.