International School of Nice Students Reach Junk Kouture Paris City Finals with Sustainable Fashion Design

When three students from the International School of Nice (ISN) were selected for the Junk Kouture Paris City Finals 2026, it marked another exciting achievement for the school’s growing reputation for creativity, sustainability and student-led innovation.

Their design, Doveolea, transformed everyday recycled materials into a striking fashion piece inspired by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions. Over six months, the project challenged them to combine design, engineering, environmental awareness and teamwork, with no prior experience making clothes.

We spoke to the three finalists: Céline, originally from Finland, with a passion for theatre and neuroscience; Asher, an artist and keen baker; and Hanrui, a science enthusiast and photographer from Beijing.

What is Junk Kouture?

Before describing their journey, 17-year-old Asher explained the concept. “Competitors aged 12 to 19 compete against each other in groups of maximum 3 people to make a fully recycled outfit based on a common theme,” he said.

The competition is focused on inspiring young people to take action against climate change and promotes slow fashion as an alternative to fast fashion. Participants transform waste materials into wearable designs. Judges select up to 40 winning entries per country, with those teams progressing to the semi-finals using the same outfit they originally submitted. The competition culminates in a series of awards, including the prestigious title of World Designer of the Year.

The Inspiration Behind Doveolea

The team’s design was inspired by the UN Sustainable Development Goal of Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions. Céline explained both the concept and its unusual name.

“Major inspirations for our piece involved symbols tied to these themes including olive branches, white poppies and the dove. When we were brainstorming ideas on names for the piece, we wanted to find a name tied to these symbols. We began by finding the scientific terms used for these elements and tried mixing them together until we found a name we liked. This process ended with Doveolea as olea is the scientific name for olive.”

Every element of the finished piece was chosen to reinforce the message. “The trousers and top are made to resemble dove wings with the presence of the layered fabric. The olive branches are represented in the sleeve and glove,” Asher explained. “We also included the white poppies in the sleeve and glove, they are also present in the shoes. The pillars were made on the corset to show the strength of strong institutions.”

Hanrui described how his contribution took shape as the design solidified. “During the design stage I mainly offered my opinion and input when and where it was needed, and I helped my teammates finalize the ideas and offered my view for how and what the outfit will be made of.” Some of those details became defining features of the finished piece. “The pillars on the corset and the Christmas lights woven throughout it, all primarily came from me.”

Living on the Côte d’Azur may have played a role in inspiring the young designers too. “It is possible that living in the Côte d’Azur and frequently seeing olive trees made us feel more positive towards adopting it into our design,” Céline reflected. “We did use an olive branch we found as a reference to model our olive branches, particularly through the colour and shape of the leaves.”

From Idea to Reality

The project came together over six months, from October to March. The first three months focused on design and material collection, with the team experimenting with different silhouettes and symbols before settling on the final look. The last stretch proved more intense than expected. “This meant that during the last month, we had to meet several times during school hours, after school hours, and during weekends to finish our design,” Céline recalled.

The final outfit incorporated curtains, paper mâché, aluminium cans, festive lights and CDs. One of the team’s most inventive solutions was using a pool noodle and duct tape to make the shoes.

“As a team of three, we started by organising sessions to plan the outfit and to choose which materials we would use that would be easy to manipulate and achievable for us to receive,” Asher explained. “We would practice techniques until we found one that worked as none of us have any experience making an outfit before; we all managed to find ideas on how we could adjust our method to ensure that it would work better.”

Not everything went smoothly. “Like the part where we needed to cut the cans, I did not expect that to be as hard as it was, and when we needed to make the shoes,” Hanrui admitted. “We all had no idea how we were going to tackle that challenge and none of us had any experience in shoe making, so we kinda threw things at the wall and saw what stuck, thankfully it all worked out alright in the end.”

Hanrui’s photography background proved invaluable at the end of the process. “When we have finished the outfit and the time for the submission has come, I used my experience and interest in photography to lead the photoshoot and image taking of our outfit, most of the images of the final outfit are primarily taken by me.”

Teamwork and What They Learned

For the students, collaboration was at the heart of the experience. “Collaboration was definitely the keyword of this project,” Hanrui reflected. “A whole outfit from recycled material is simply too monumental of a task to put on any single person, especially high school students who have no previous experience. We gave each other what we are good at, like putting Celine and Asher in charge of design, and me in charge of media creation, I think this has allowed us to work more efficiently and staying more organised.”

For Asher, one of the most rewarding parts was discovering a new skill. “I am the most proud of how much I have learned about sewing throughout this journey; I am notably proud of our trousers. At the start of the project, I was unsure on how the trousers would look as I have heard that trousers are really hard to sew but we managed to make them look pretty good. I’m happy that we have learned so much on how the whole sewing process works from choosing a design, making a template, cutting fabrics and sewing it all together.”

How ISN Supported the Project

As an accredited Eco-School, ISN places sustainability at the centre of school life, something the students say shaped both their choice of theme and their approach to making. “Being at an Eco-School, there is a collective mindset surrounding recycling in our school which I believe was beneficial when we were collecting materials,” Céline said. “Many were encouraged to bring us cans after they’d finished drinking sodas to contribute to our piece. Our school also has the sustainable development goals displayed around which meant that we were familiar with all of them when we were first choosing which SDG to focus our design on.”

Practically, the school gave the team everything they needed to make it happen. “ISN has been very supportive throughout this process by allowing us to use a room every week so that we could work on our project at school,” Asher said. “The school has also been very helpful with providing us the materials we needed like a sewing machine, curtains and cans. These materials were provided to us both by the students and staff.”

Hanrui pointed to the wider culture that encourages sustainability. “Our school hosts events and competitions many times a year to promote sustainable development and sustainability,” he said, noting facilities like solar panels on the main school building, and a dedicated garden where “students from many grades actively work to take care of the plants there.”

Hanrui also spoke warmly about the school’s creative culture. “From the moment I joined ISN I realised that it is a school focused on the arts. There are a large number of very talented artists and musicians here and our creative arts department is one of the biggest departments in ISN.” He cited the annual theatre production as a highlight, and past shows have included Phantom of the Opera, Rent and Footloose, and pointed to strong pastoral support and specialist facilities as further reasons for his verdict: “From my very one sided and biased point of view I think ISN is the best international school the Côte d’Azur has to offer.”

Looking Ahead to Paris

Discovering they had made the Paris City Finals was a moment none of them will forget quickly. “I honestly felt almost overwhelmed with joy,” Céline shared. “I jumped around my room for a few minutes as it was the only way I could release all the happiness and pride I felt.”

Asher felt the same. “When I found out that we made it to the Paris City Finals I felt ecstatic and shocked. I am most excited about seeing the other designs when my team will be going to Paris.”

On what she hopes the design might spark in the audience, Celine added, “I hope they feel inspired to look into ways they can contribute to peace in a manner that aligns with their interests and what they have access to. For instance, if there are any artists in the audience which can be expected, I hope they find ideas as to how they can advocate in unique ways.”

About The International School of Nice

The International School of Nice (ISN) is a leading IB World School on the French Riviera, serving students from more than 40 nationalities. Accredited as an Eco-School, ISN places sustainability at the heart of school life, from student-led Green Team initiatives and beach clean-ups to ocean conservation projects, recycling programmes and campaigns linked to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Alongside its strong IB academic programme, ISN has a thriving creative arts department, an annual theatre production, and dedicated facilities for music, science and the arts.

Find out more about ISN’s Whole Child Approach in our recent interview with the school.

Frequently Asked Questions About the International School of Nice

Where is the International School of Nice located?

The International School of Nice (ISN) is located on the French Riviera, serving both local and international families from across the Côte d’Azur.

What curriculum does ISN offer?

ISN is an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School offering a globally recognised education from early years through to the IB Diploma Programme.

What makes ISN different from other international schools on the Côte d’Azur?

ISN combines academic excellence with a strong focus on creativity, sustainability, student wellbeing and global citizenship. The school is also an accredited Eco-School.

How does ISN teach sustainability?

Students participate in practical environmental initiatives including recycling programmes, beach clean-ups, conservation projects, sustainability campaigns and student-led environmental leadership opportunities.

Does ISN have strong arts and creative programmes?

Yes. ISN has a thriving arts department, annual theatre productions, music facilities, visual arts programmes and opportunities for students to participate in international competitions such as Junk Kouture.

How does ISN support student wellbeing?

The school places a strong emphasis on pastoral care and safeguarding, ensuring students receive both academic and personal support throughout their education.

What nationalities attend ISN?

ISN has a diverse international community with students representing more than 40 nationalities.

Read more articles about education on the MumAbroad blog