Loreto Bray’s Beatrice Fortuna, pictured with judges Lorraine Keane, Aisling Duffy, Joanne Rourke and Arran Murphy.
The future is looking bright in the fashion world after a Transition Year student, from Loreto Bray, was crowned Overall Winner of the Relove Fashion Design Competition, held in the Rediscovery Centre, Ballymun on Thursday March 21.
Beatrice Fortuna’s winning design, an elegant evening gown, wowed the judges, Lorraine Keane, Aisling Duffy, Joanne Rourke and Arran Murphy and was selected ahead of 20 other designers who showcased their work at the finals.
The Relove Fashion Competition is a sustainable fashion competition run by local authorities in the Eastern and Midlands regions. The competition was developed in response to the devastating environmental and social impacts of the fashion industry, the need for change, and the recognition of young people’s pivotal role in shaping innovative solutions.
The competition challenges students to explore creative reuse options such as upcycling, repairs, alterations and mending; inspiring them to take a closer look at how their clothing is made.
Run in conjunction with the Rediscovery Centre, whose mission is to lead Ireland’s transition to a circular economy and a sustainable future, the competition focuses on the circular economy by creating a new wearable design from older fabrics and outfits.
Beatrice’s winning design was an elegant evening gown and was created using fabric from two sets of curtains and upcycled second hand jewellery.
“We were absolutely blown away by the hard work put into outfits, the skills that have been learnt for the competition, and the enormously high quality of the work submitted,” the judges said. “Everyone who participated has made a wonderful contribution to sustainable fashion.”