Junk Kouture, an international organization that challenges teens to design wearable haute couture styled from recycled materials, is coming to Southern California in February 2022.
The program, developed for middle and high school students to learn about sustainability, is designed around a competition-style format that culminates in a Junk Kouture World Final judged by a team of technical and celebrity judges. The next international final is scheduled for September, 2022.
Chief Relationships Officer Rory Kelly said Junk Kouture aligns with many learning objectives currently addressed in schools but also strives to “combat the nature of normality” by challenging young people to “put down their phones, get out of their comfort zone and become micro-influencers for good” with new thought processes by being innovative with materials.
Their mission, she said, is to empower one billion young people throughout the world over the next 10 years, to make their own calls on how they can make a difference and be celebrated for doing so.
The kids in Gen-Z, those born between 1997 and 2012 are the most creative, climate-conscious group we’ve ever seen, Kelly said.
“These are not young people who are being taught about sustainability— they are actively practicing it and exploring new ways of doing so, whether it’s through their buying habits or indeed taking part in Junk Kouture,” Kelly said.
Students or families that are interested in learning more about what participating in Junk Kouture is like can check out their recently-launched documentary Waking the Muse, Kelly said, which tells the stories of three past participants, their journeys and life after the program. The film itself was created by two young creatives and can be found on YouTube.
Eventually, Junk Kouture hopes to develop its U.S. presence to the point where there will be multiple city finals throughout the country, Kelly said.
“We have already seen an amazing array of culture and diversity come through in our first round of international launches, and we are very excited to see what will come from San Diego next year,” Kelly said.
Visit junkkouture.com for more information.
