La La Lu Veil wins at Junk Kouture

By Síofra Grant

They were celebrating at St Joseph’s Secondary School, Rochfortbridge last week as former student Emilija Milasiute won in the Junk Kouture World Finals.

Her creation, La La Lu Veil, is made from recycled plastic milk bottles, plastic packaging straps and pearl beads. If features a stunning wide brim hat of the same materials. The design includes tiny plastic shamrocks made from the bottles, each painstakingly sewn in by Emilija, at the same time she was preparing to sit her Leaving Certificate.

“I was inspired by the older generation and I wanted to give that nostalgic vibe,” she said. “I used something we use every day, we can see them everywhere and they’re not being recycled properly. So I was like, I should use this as my piece, because they’re everywhere.”

At the time, Emilija had been keeping her Junk Kouture hopes close to her chest, so it was proving difficult to collect the milk containers. “You should have seen the look on my friends’ faces when I asked them to give me milk bottles,” joked Emilija.

“They were like ‘Emilija, why do you need all the milk bottles?’ and I’d say it’s a secret because I hadn’t told anyone about my project.”

La La Lu Veil is a representation of resilience, unity, and the potential of sustainable fashion, and there is a lot of depth to Emilija’s design, even in the name itself.

“While I was working on my piece, I stumbled across a lullaby called La La Lu,” she recalled. “It sounds nostalgic, and I thought that that was exactly what my piece was about.

“It just so happened that I was working on the veil at the time and that part came completely at the last minute. I wanted to go for a mysterious look.

“Historically and culturally, they’ve (veils) been used for centuries and they can be used as protection from evil, for religious reasons, to show celebration. They can be used to feel mysterious and special, and as a bridge for generations.

“Just like how Junk Kouture brings people from different nations together to celebrate sustainable fashion.”

The competitors forged friendships throughout their three days together, and Emilija was successful in winning the Purposeful Plastic Award.

“I wasn’t expecting anything because there was a lot of competition in Ireland this year, and I was so proud of them. So I wasn’t expecting anything. I was just there behind the scenes leaning up against the wall while they were calling people up and then I heard my name being called and was like, is that really me?

“After I went backstage, my heart was racing and I locked eyes with a few other contestants I’d been talking to the previous days, and we all started crying, seeing each other.”

Katie Deegan was Emilija’s teacher at St Joseph’s and she is over the moon at her success.

“She’s finished school here now. She made a design here when she was in transition year, this stunning piece out of origami. It got so far but it didn’t get any further, and she was really dedicated and mad to make another one she wanted to get further with.

“So she made this one in her own time, when she was doing her Leaving Cert. She was flat out making it, she was really dedicated to getting it done. I definitely encouraged her because I felt like she could have done better the first time.

“It’s such an honour for the school like she’s done Rochfortbridge so proud.”