Design without limits. Donegal Student challenges fashion norms

A talented young wheelchair user and designer from Moville is making waves in this year’s Junk Kouture competition with a striking and meaningful creation that champions both sustainability and inclusivity.

Seventeen-year-old Maia McDermott, a fifth-year student at Moville Community College, has secured a place in the Dublin City Finals after impressing judges at the regional finals held in The Helix in Dublin. Maia’s design was one of just 20 selected from 60 entries in a highly competitive event.

This year marks Maia’s second time entering the competition. Last year, she collaborated with fellow students Alicia Atherton and Clara Doherty on a design titled Freedom. This year, however, Maia took on the challenge independently, designing and modelling her piece solo.

Maia’s 2026 entry, Measured in Motion, is a visually powerful and thought-provoking dress made entirely from recycled materials, including metal rulers collected from skips, schools, and offices, along with florist bouquet wrap used to tie bows to create diamond effects.

The design process, which took place from June to January, involved carefully altering each metal ruler by removing sharp edges, adding additional holes, and riveting them together to form a structured, armour-like garment. The finished piece is fully wheelchair-friendly and specifically designed to be worn while seated, addressing a gap often overlooked in the fashion industry, says Maia.

“I made my design to be worn while sitting, as more often than not, outfits can be worn while standing, but they don’t always suit people who are sitting.”

As a wheelchair user herself, Maia was inspired to create a design that reflects both her personal experience and a broader message of inclusivity.

“My dress challenges social attitudes toward disability and inequality. By addressing how people are measured against unfair standards, especially wheelchair users, it promotes inclusivity and equal opportunity.”

The Moville student’s work also highlights key global themes, including sustainability and equality. By reusing discarded materials, Maia promotes responsible consumption, while her design challenges societal perceptions around disability.

“The rulers symbolise how you can’t measure somebody’s ability by their disability,” she said.

Reflecting on her success so far, Maia described feeling “absolutely thrilled“ at making the finals for the second year running. 

Looking ahead, she hopes to pursue a career in fashion design after completing her studies, with a continued focus on inclusivity and innovation.

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Maia, along with fellow Moville Community College students Rebecca Bourke, Lily Carey, and Ailise Doherty, will now represent their school and community at the Dublin City Finals on May 6th after they impressed judges Claire Garvey, Zeda, and Róisín Heffernan with their colourful creation titled Origami Tsunami.