I have been given a 4th year and 5th year LCA class to teach until the end of the year. This is a great experience especially as I have never taught an LCA task or Junk Kouture before.
Junk Kouture:
Three groups from this TY class are working really hard on Junk Kouture designs for the competition. We are now at the stage of registering their designs which is quite a long process. The teams has to make movies, take photographs and write a detailed description about the process and materials used.
Researching previous years:
I have learned from studying previous years that the designs that get in usually have a deep meaning behind them or a global, environmental or social justice issue. Junk Kouture is a great project to get learners thinking about what materials are used in clothes and what you can do with "waste" and recycled materials.
One group are doing a project on the damaging effects smoking has on us: Killer Kouture.
Another designed a dress based on the new Junior Cycle and no more Junior Cert: Death of the Junior Cert.
And the final group designed a dress out of paper bags about mass consumerism and fast fashion called: Shopping Queen.
Personal Intrest in this Project:
I had a particular interest in this project due to working on a project based on "Fast Fashion" with my peers last year tas part of the Development Education programme. In today's world of Fast Fashion consumers think little about where their clothes and the materials that make them came from and are constantly buying new clothes to keep up to date with the ever-changing trends from the runway. Young people in particular can relate to this as the pressures of social media and being fashionable at that age are great. The fashion industry is the 3rd biggest pollutant on the planet. This project is a great way to show people how to recycle and inspire to up-cycle clothes!
Student Autonomy:
The great thing about this project is the amount of learner autonomy they have over their work. It is all up to them and as it is not constricted by grades from school, they are free to do what they like and whatever topic they like. Of course we help to guide them and help their ideas come to life!
