Cara McAleenan, student at Southern Regional College in Newry was crowned Ireland’s Young Designer of The Year at the 2018 Wedding Journal Show.
The competition saw 1000’s of entries across the country and two SRC students were selected within the Top 5 finalists of the competition.
Cara who studies a Foundation Diploma in Art & Design and Hannah Warwick who studies Art competed against university level students in the final.
The competition saw entrants submit a mood board on an original wedding dress design. Having been selected as finalists the girls then had to design their dress for the Grand Final with the guidance of their SRC tutors Massaret Ali and Cheri Craig.
The dresses were exhibited on the International Bridal Catwalk at the Wedding Journal Shows in Dublin and Belfast which were held on February 13-14.
Cara’s ‘Oriental’ design was commended by the judges for its use of colour and floral textures. Cara wins a professional photoshoot and will have her dress featured in an exclusive spread in Ireland’s Wedding Journal magazine.
Main photo: L-R: Chris Hobson (Deputy Head of School), Massaret Ali (SRC Lecturer), Cara McAleenan (SRC Student), Michael O’Neill (Head of School), Brian Doran (SRC Chief Executive)
