Moate Students Bring Blueprint Built from Medical Jackets to Junk Kouture Final

Moate Community School sent "Blueprint" to the Junk Kouture World Final at The Helix in Dublin on 24 February 2026, a five-month project by students Hannah Higgins, Muireann Lowry and Erin Roche that was modelled onstage and in photos by Erin Roche. Midlands103 reports the piece was constructed from single-use medical jackets and developed around a "four elements" theme.

The student trio spent five months on the build, folding, shaping and assembling discarded medical jackets into a runway-ready creation intended to meet Junk Kouture's strict rule that entries be made entirely from recycled materials. Midlands103 notes Hannah Higgins is a fifth year student; Irish Independent and Westmeath Independent both list the designers as Hannah Higgins, Muireann Lowry and Erin Roche, and name teacher Pamela Keeogh in event photographs with the group.

Moate Community School framed the project as classroom practice turned public statement. The school said students are "empowered to turn ideas into action, to collaborate, and to make a real difference in the world around them" and added: "This is more than fashion, it’s a movement. It’s young people leading change. This dress represents a true blueprint for change, challenging how we think about, use and reuse the materials we consume every single day. [...] It’s a powerful statement on sustainability, creativity and conscious living. Every element has been thoughtfully reimagined to show that waste can become something extraordinary."

Junk Kouture positions itself as a global platform for young designers aged 12 to 19 to transform discarded materials into high-fashion garments. The organisation describes the competition as free to enter, supportive of schools with fewer resources through partnership funding, and committed to education in circularity and creative problem-solving. Junk Kouture says it has run programmes in cities including Dubai, Dublin, London, Milan, New York and Paris, and highlights recognition such as the MIPTV SDG Innovation Award and an appointment as an SDG Champion by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications in Ireland.

Midlands103 reported that Moate’s "Blueprint" would compete on the same stage as entries from schools such as Heywood Community School in Laois and St Joseph’s Rochfortbridge, and face international contenders from the US and France for the World Designer of the Year title. Irish Independent published multiple thumbnail images and captions showing Erin Roche modelling "Blueprint" and identified Pamela Keeogh in the group shots with the students.

By taking "Blueprint" to The Helix on 24 February, Moate Community School translated classroom experimentation into a physical demonstration of circular design at an international final, a result that underlines Junk Kouture’s aim to make sustainability a practical, visible part of youth fashion education.