Galway City Council is proudly funding The Relove Fashion Competition with registrations now open to young people across the city. This unique competition offers teenagers the chance to showcase their creativity and passion for sustainable fashion by designing and creating their own sustainable outfits.

Participants in the Relove Fashion Competition will get the opportunity to delve into the world of sustainable fashion, learning essential skills such as repurposing, upcycling, altering and repair. The competition challenges entrants to use their creative design skills to create a sustainable, wearable outfit from preloved clothing and textiles. The textiles can be unwanted items in their own wardrobe, donations from friends or family, items sourced at swap events or from charity shops.

Throughout the competition online inspiration sessions will be held by the Rediscovery Centre’s Arran Murphy, showcasing innovative ideas for techniques and materials.

Applicant’s final submissions should include a finished outfit, before and after photos, a storyboard outlining the journey and the design process involved in the creation from start to finish, and a video of the outfit. Shortlisted participants will be invited to the finals held in the Rediscovery Centre.

Previous winning designs have been beautifully crafted from bed linen, curtains, cushions, shirts, ties, and even Santa Hats.

Speaking at the launch of the Relove Fashion Competition 2024, Lorraine Keane, Fashion Relief founder, entrepreneur and media presenter said, “I am thrilled to launch this exciting new step for the Relove Fashion Competition. I have been involved as a judge since the beginning and it is wonderful to see it grow from a regional competition to a national competition. This means that secondary school aged students throughout the Republic of Ireland can enter the competition. I am really looking forward to seeing the creativity and ingenuity of this year’s students.”

Fergal Cushen, Environmental Awareness Officer at Galway City Council commented, “Galway city is renowned for its creative and artistic endeavours, and this competition is a great way for the young people of the city to combine their creativity with environmental education. It will allow them to see the value in clothing and textiles while learning how to repurpose and upcycle.”

The competition is open to young people in participating Local Authorities across the Republic of Ireland. The Relove Fashion Competition is kindly supported by the Government of Ireland, The Regional Waste Management Planning Offices, Rediscovery Centre and participating local authorities.

The deadline for submissions is January 2025, the shortlist announcement is February/March 2025 and the grand final will be March/April 2025.