Chalon-sur-Saône. Lou wins an award for her fashion invention: a plant-based cape, a garment that produces oxygen.

The twists and turns of Parcour's Up can sometimes open up new paths. Lou Garnier was a high school student in Ponthus-de-Thiard, in Chalon, when she had to choose her options: either business or sewing. "With Parcours'Up, I didn't get what I wanted in business, or where I wanted," the young woman explains. "So I went to Lyon, to Modart. And I knew I was in the right place!"

Until then, she had been sewing as a hobby. "I had dabbled in the world of fashion. At 14, I had some health problems and spent a lot of time in the hospital in Chalon. There was a sewing room, funded by the Pièces jaunes. I made cuddly toys, masks, etc."

Then, when Covid hit, her parents bought her a sewing machine to kill time. And her passion never left her. She entered the Modart fashion school in Lyon two years ago. At the beginning of the year, "I entered the L'Étudiant competition on the theme of the uniform of 2074. When I think about the future, I think about the problems we might encounter." With her friend Orphée Buisson, she designed a plant-based cape made from chia seeds. "I looked at the predictions for 2074; there will surely be a lack of oxygen due to forest fires and deforestation," she explains. "I imagined an outfit that will help future generations breathe and produce oxygen."

So the two students grew chia seeds on linen, using recyclable compresses to maintain humidity. The seeds grow and cover the linen. "The cape can last five years; you have to spray it with water every day. After five years, you bury it in your garden and no one talks about it anymore!" The only downside: it's heavy. But that didn't stop them from winning third prize in this national competition.

"The jury praised the ingenuity of the concept, for going so far and finding real solutions," reports Lou Garnier. "Clothing produces 18% of greenhouse gases. We need to think about new solutions, not just reducing our impact. Fashion is also a commitment and a response to issues."

They earned the right to showcase their creations at the Whosnext fashion show , which took place this weekend in Paris. This international women's fashion trade show is aimed at professionals who come to discover the new collections of major brands.

"We reworked the model to make it more attractive, in the shape of a kimono. We also used silk tulle, to make it more "couture-like." But it was harder to grow." This experience was enriching. "We met lots of people in the industry, and we were able to look for internships or work-study opportunities."