Home-schooled Cosima's dress a lesson in creativity

By Kieran O’Mahony

IT’S amazing what you can create using some used pumpkin seeds, an old farm rope, some used can pull rings and even an old camping chair. 

For 16-year-old Cosima Augustin from Clonakilty these  recycled items were the material she used to create a stunning butterfly-themed costume for this year’s prestigious Junk Kouture competition, which encourages second level students to create original and innovative outfits using only recycled material. 

Cosima’s costume, aptly titled ‘Adonis Blue’, has now made it to the Grand Final, which takes place  on April 27th in the 3 Arena in Dublin. 

Cosima, who is home-schooled, is also the only West Cork representative in the final and she is calling on West Cork to get behind her by voting for her in the online public voting system.

‘It was my art teacher Rita Morrissey, who runs ‘Rita’s Clay House’ who suggested the competition to me in the first place and at the beginning we didn’t know quite what to do and we started off with different concepts before we came up with a theme based on a butterfly,’ Cosima told The Southern Star.

‘We started collecting all types of junk back in September and I even got people to hold onto pumpkin seeds at Halloween for my costume. Rita gave me an old camping chair and we used the fabric from it to make the bodice. I made the gloves using the netting from the cup holders of the camping chair, combined with zips out of old farm jackets and I then used some old farm rope to make the head piece.’

It took Cosima the best part of four months to make her costume, which is based on a butterfly and flowers, and she also used paper and old zips to create her piece.

‘I was delighted when I made the finals of the Southern Region which was held in the University of Limerick Concert Hall where I had to model my costume. There were about 85 entrants and just 19 of us qualified for the Grand Final which I was thrilled about,’ added Cosima.

Cosima’s art teacher Rita said she is very proud of Cosima and all the hard work she has put into her design.

‘We wish Cosima the very best of luck and no doubt she will do an amazing job representing Clonakilty and the West Cork region in the Grand Final,’ said Rita.

With no school backing her, Cosima is looking for West Cork to support her through the online public voting system which will run until midnight on Friday April 14th and accounts for 10% of the overall marks. To vote for Cosima see www.facebook.com/ritasclayhouse