John Rocha, Louise Kennedy, Cuan Hanly and Marc O'Neill had better look to their laurels. Second-level students are about to take to the catwalks to show off their "futuristic" designs. They aim to give Ireland's leading designers a run for their money when their winning entries in a fashion competition are displayed at a gala show on March 31st.

Excitement is already building as the deadline for the finale of the Coca-Cola Futuristic Fashion Competition draws near. The extravaganza, hosted by RTE's Sean Moncrieff, will be held in Ballincollig Community School in Cork.

Senior-cycle students, including Transition Years, have been cutting and pasting their patterns and designs since the competition started last autumn. Their brief was to design, make and model a futuristically themed costume from recycled goods. The aim is to encourage learning, group-work and engage students in a cross-curricular enterprise.

Regional heats are currently running every weekend. Some 1,700 students from 88 schools have entered the competition, but only 30 will be chosen for the final. The competition has been organised by Aidine O'Reilly, Agnes Earley and Avril Owens, who are three full-time, second-level teachers at Ballincollig Community School.

What started off as a classroom exercise with Transition Years, developed beyond an exercise to design something on paper. The pupils' enthusiasm to complete and manufacture their designs continued to the extent that they began to collect the necessary materials in order to construct the clothes themselves.

The show will be attended by personalities from the world of art, fashion, education and the media. The first prize is a multi-media computer, scanner and printer and a specially designed trophy of the school's choice. John Rocha et al had better watch out.

The competition facilitates students "to become personally involved with their piece from its inception right through to fruition learning the constraints and the capacity of the design process long the way," says Aidine O'Reilly.

There is also a competition to design the winning trophy. Third-level students have been invited to submit designs. The winners of the "Coca~Cola Futuristic Fashion Competition" will have a week to browse through their submissions with their teacher and principal to choose a perpetual trophy for their school.