Ursulines vinyl gown set to break records at Junk Kouture show

They say life is too short to wear boring clothes and that's exactly what the students of Ursuline Secondary School in Thurles had in mind when they created their breath taking design for the annual Junk Kouture fashion show.

The fashion forward thinking of Winona Ryan, Sarah Ryan and Roisin Heffernan secured the school a surprise visit from Snapchat star James Kavanagh on Monday afternoon who announced that the trio had earned themselves a silver ticket direct to the regional final in the University of Limerick on March 10.

The girls, who began working on their creation last September, used 1,120 burnt matches, discarded vinyl records and coloured wrapping paper to create their apply named 'Kamuro' dress- a name given to a firework which leaves a glittery trail. A total of 100 old vinyl records were donated to the budding fashionistas by the school music department to make the skirt of the gown along with blackout material previously used in a school musical. Broken hoola hoops donated from a nearby child care centre added volume to the skirt while recycled sugar paper taken from old posters added a pop of colour to the finished look. Team member Roisin Heffernan, who also modeled the dress, said the school have been a "massive help" since they began working on their project  last year with their art teacher Katie McCormack adding that this is the first time the school has taken part in the annual recycled fashion showcase. A video of James informing the students they had earned their place in UL has now been viewed over 14,000 times. 

The Ursuline students will join fourteen other entries from Tipperary schools at the Regional Final of the Junk Kouture competition on March 10 alongside 80 other hopeful teams from Munster to battle it out for a place at the grand final later this year in Dublin. 

This year’s Junk Kouture prizes include €2,500 cash for the school, €500 cash and iPad minis for the winning team, as well as a scholarship to the Limerick School of Art & Design. The overall and regional winning teams will also attend the Cannes Film Festival in May 2017. 

Full list of Tipperary finalists for Junk Kouture 2017:

Team Name                                                School                                                         Students

Angel Of Darkness  - Comeragh College Tinvane, Carrick-On-Suir - Emma Ulrich, Eve Torpey, Eoin Power

"Eye" see what you did there! - Árdscoil na mBráithre Clonmel - Aileen Kennedy, Andy Higgins, Cathal McGuigan

Woven Warrior - Loreto Secondary School Clonmel  - Eimear O'Connor, Amy lonergan

The Lone Rhino - Patrician Presentation Secondary School Fethard - Damien Cahill, Juan Ortega, Dillon Costin

Amours' Reign - Patrician Presentation Secondary Fethard -  Amy Byrne, Noelle O' Meara, Lucy Whyte

Jungle Jane - Presentation Secondary School Clonmel - Lisa Walsh

Barista - Presentation Secondary School Clonmel -  Keisha O'Shea, Louise Bourke

Rise Like a Phoenix - Presentation Secondary School Clonmel - Roisin Nolan, Natasha Holmes, Emer Ryan

Floribus Mori (Flowers Dying) - Presentation Secondary School Clonmel - Síne Landers, Ana Paula Cusnaider, Jade Ryan

Amarillo Starlight Presentation - Secondary School Clonmel - Hayley Kennedy, Lorna Fennessy, Aoife Walsh

Artemis - Presentation Secondary School Clonmel - Michelle Coyle, Leah Hickey, Keyara connolly

Floral Fantasy - St. Anne's Secondary School Tipperary - Emma Hogan

Blaze away - St. Anne's Secondary School Tipperary - Hannah Quinn

Kamuro - Ursuline Secondary School Thurles -Winona Ryan, Sarah Ryan, Roisin Heffernan

Get a Grip! - Presentation Secondary School Thurles -  Aoife Butler, Ciara Trainor, Aoife Max