Three talented Grade 8 students from the Swiss International School Dubai (SISD) have showcased their creativity by crafting a fashionable dress entirely out of sweet wrappers, earning them a place in the finals of the esteemed Junk Kouture World competition in London. The dress, named ‘Candylicious,’ caught the attention of the judges with its vibrant colors and chic design.
Violette, Sacha, and Mia, aged between 13 and 14, embarked on this unique project as an after-school activity. They collected sweet wrappers from Halloween trick-or-treating, along with pasta packaging, chip bags, food labels, and popsicle sticks to construct their eye-catching dress. The goal was to make a statement about the impact of pollution, particularly the harm caused by plastic and trash that ends up in landfills.
Junk Kouture is a global recycled fashion competition that challenges students aged 13 to 18 to create high-end couture using recycled materials. This prestigious event merges fashion, design, engineering, and environmental sustainability, inspiring young minds to develop stunning works of recycled couture that could grace the world’s most renowned runways.
The students faced challenges during the design process, going through four dress design iterations before settling on their final creation. Time management was also a hurdle, as they had to find additional hours outside of their weekly after-school sessions to work on the project. However, the experience taught them the value of teamwork and compromise.
Their dress was presented at the regional competition in Abu Dhabi, where only the top 10 designs out of 40 were selected to represent the UAE at the London finals. The girls are thrilled and slightly nervous about the upcoming competition but are eager to compete with other cities and, hopefully, emerge as winners.
The students’ achievement highlights their innovative approach to recycling and their ability to transform trash into something fashionable and meaningful. It serves as an inspiration to young individuals and emphasizes the importance of environmental sustainability and creative solutions to global challenges.
