Tipperary teen reaches final of fashion competition with wetlands-inspired creation

A student from Tipperary takes us behind the scenes of her Junk Kouture design, which has recently qualified for the national finals, sharing the inspiration and message behind her creation.

‘Before The Pond Runs Dry’ is a unique dress crafted from old oil tablecloths and an old duvet.

It was designed, created, quilted, and even modelled by Isabel Slattery, a student at St Anne’s Secondary School in Tipperary Town.

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Isabel’s design was among the qualifying entries for the Junk Kouture finals, which will take place in Dublin this May.

The dress carries a powerful message about the drainage of Irish wetlands and the preservation of underwater ecosystems, explains Isabel. She shares the inspiration behind her design: “We live near wetlands, and I know a lot of other farmers around here have been threatening to drain their wetlands to create extra farmland for grazing cattle.

"However, people don’t realise how much this affects the ecosystem. They just see a wet field, but there’s so much happening beneath the surface. Wetlands are crucial for many animals in the ecosystem.”

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When asked about her choice of materials, Isabel says: “The inspiration to use old tablecloths and a duvet came from the colours I needed.

"Last year, I visited Monet’s garden in Paris, and my dress is based on his painting of the ponds. I realised I needed those pastel colours like blues, pinks, yellows, and oranges. Our spring tablecloths at home had exactly those colours, so I used them.”

Reflecting on the most challenging part of the design process, Isabel admits: “Coming up with an original idea and making sure it stands out was hard. I felt my first design wasn’t eye-catching enough, so I added a dragonfly to my headpiece.”

When asked about her reaction to being selected for the national finals, she said she was ecstatic: “It was my second time being selected. I also made it to the All Irelands when I was in second year. It felt amazing to have my design chosen again.”

Isabel’s design is one of the six from Tipperary chosen for the Dublin City Final of fashion competition Junk Kouture, which is scheduled to take place in May of this year.