Jersey students win place at sustainable fashion event in Abu Dhabi
A video report by ITV Channel Journalist Jadzia Samuel
Three Jersey students have made it to the finals of a sustainable fashion competition where they will be able to showcase their design on the world stage.
Anna, 18, and Charlotte and Bonnie, both 17, will travel to Abu Dhabi in the Middle East early next year to take part in Junk Kouture.
The event focuses on haute-couture design made entirely from recycled materials.
All three girls are students at Jersey College for Girls and have been selected as part of the UK and Ireland finals.
The competition was founded in Ireland in 2010 and has seen over 100,000 participants produce 15,000 designs.
It has helped save over 40,000kg of material from landfill.
Anna, Charlotte and Bonnie were selected with their dress called 'Mind Pollution', which they say was inspired by the negativity in the media.
It features negative articles published in newspapers which pollutes society as well as recycled bags representing the pollution of the environment.
The newspapers' articles and bags were added to a recycled wedding dress, along with recycled lace.
Recycled plastic was used for the dress which took three months to make.
Charlotte said she couldn't believe it when they found out they had been chosen.
"I didn't expect it. I had to replay the video to make sure they did say we had won.
Bonnie added: "I was on my way out of the house when I found out and I was quite overwhelmed." They will be going against 59 other finalists from London, Milan, Paris, Abu Dhabi and New York when they travel to Abu Dhabi in January 2023.
"I am excited to go to Abu Dhabi," Anna said.
They will be travelling with Bianca Padidar, Head of Textiles at their college.
Bianca Padidar, Head of Textiles at Jersey College for Girls
"We are so proud of the girls getting through to the World Finals," said Mrs Padidar.
"Team Mind Pollution really engaged with the brief and designed their piece around the media's impact upon mental health.
"They sourced recycled newspaper materials and woven plastic bags from all types of places, and came up with innovative ways in which to manipulate the material to create a beautiful couture piece.
"They have exceeded my expectations with their design and skill, collaborated so well within their group and built up the confidence now to go and perform in front thousands of people in Abu Dhabi."
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