The Irish sustainable fashion platform Junk Kouture has partnered with Microsoft as part of a programme to expand its digital offering to its community.
Junk Kouture is a creative program open to 13-18-year-olds that challenges young people to design, upcycle and create high end Kouture from 100% recycled materials before showcasing their sustainable designs at live events across the globe. Dubbed ‘The Eurovision for fashion and creative young people’, the competition focuses on creating the circular engineers of tomorrow, by taking junk and applying creativity and innovation to make garments suited for a fashion runway.
The link-up sees Microsoft and Junk Kouture develop masterclasses that can be viewed on Microsoft’s Flip platform, a video discussion app to share videos and build communities by learning together. Flip will be the main platform to connect masterclass experts in fashion and sustainability with the global creative community of educators and students.
“Young people can often feel helpless in the face of the climate crisis and that’s why at Junk Kouture, we give them a global platform and the tools to use their voice and the creative outlet to showcase their solutions. Our ambition is to reach 1 billion young people over the next 10 years, generating lasting behavioural change through creativity and education content around STEAM and sustainability that impacts our planets future along the way. We create the next generation of changemakers, and that’s why it is vital for us to collaborate with the right partners like Microsoft, that not only align with our vision and values but have the global experience to help us achieve this ambition. We are excited to have the team at Microsoft join us on this exciting journey,” says Troy Armour, CEO & Founder Junk Kouture.
“Microsoft and Junk Kouture share a vision to empower the next generation and encourage future circular engineers through connected education. Our technology allies with Junk Kouture’s mission and enables accessible information for students across the globe, no matter where they are. As a brand, Microsoft has a strong foundation in supporting, and empowering people and organisations in the fashion industry – to inspire creativity and innovation and build a more inclusive and sustainable future,” adds Maruschka Loubser, director of global brand partnerships, Microsoft.
Other global brands that have partnered with Junk Kouture include Deloitte and Etihad Airways.
