Fashion

The rose is the top-selling flower in France, with more than 22 million bunches sold every year. It has been grown for four generations by the Meilland family on the French Riviera. A symbol of lovers, the rose is also a favourite of perfumers. François Demachy, a perfume designer and famous Dior "nose", swears by it.

It’s time to party! On the sidelines of the exhibition "Habibi, revolutions of love" at the Arab World Institute in Paris, a big dance party celebrates queer culture across the Arab world. And what better way to pay homage to tolerance and love than an evening of voguing? Some impressive artists were there to share the love, among them Vinii Revlon, Vanina Ninja, Myss Keta and also the director of the Institute, Jack Lang. FRANCE 24 went to check it out.

This year, the show is taking place in Dakar, Senegal – the first luxury event of its kind to take place in sub-Saharan Africa. Rapper Abd Al Malik, writer Alain Mabanckou, model and producer Caroline de Maigret, actress Lyna Khoudri, musician Nix, director Moly Kane, actress Whitney Peak and musician Pharrell Williams talk us through their impressions of the show.

2022 was a difficult year in many ways, but that didn't stop the biggest luxury labels securing impressive profits or coming up with exciting new collaborations, such as one between Jean Paul Gaultier and Olivier Rousteing. This past year was marked by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, a lack of raw materials and increased awareness of just how polluting the fashion industry is.

Can ready-to-wear collections help us answer key questions about who we are and how we should live? On exiting the latest Rick Owens show, the answer from Montreal-based fashion duo Matières Fécales was a resolute "yes".

If there was one word to describe the latest round of ready-to-wear offerings for summer 2023, it would be freedom, a desire to liberate bodies – and minds – from all forms of restraint. Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto rejects any fashion that treats women like dolls rather than people, while his compatriot Hidenori Kumakiri reimagines military uniforms and French designer Mossi Traoré finds inspiration in binmen’s uniforms.

Ethiopia’s young fashion designers are adding modern touches to traditional clothing designs. Hana Bekana formed her design company, Oroliyana design for the exact purposes and her works are already attracting fashion lovers in her country.

A seven-hour drive southwest of the Tunisian capital lies Chott el-Djerid, north Africa's largest salt lake and the setting for the thirteenth edition of Tunis Fashion Week. The youngest designer participating, 18-year-old Haroun Ghanmi, celebrates the Tunisian techno scene, while fellow designer Yousra Sen creates one-of-a-kind pieces.

Imagine the following situation: you are at the beach with your friends. Suddenly, someone asks: "Would you like to be a professional model?", what would you do? Cape Verdean Raquel Pinto didn't think twice. She grabbed the opportunity and became an international model.

The first is an English designer who fights for a cleaner world, through more responsible design. The second is an Australian lingerie designer who also works as an artist. The third is a Ukrainian designer, determined to stay true to her cultural and sartorial roots. Stella McCartney, Michaela Stark and Lilia Litkovska are three women using fashion to undermine oppression, whatever form it may take. FRANCE 24 went to meet them.

he luxury sector has never been so healthy, in both financial and creative terms. At Dior, Maria-Grazia Chiuri has called on artist Eva Jospin to design a grotto made from recycled carboard to serve as a backdrop to her fashion tribute to Catherine de Médicis.

Esteban Sinisterra, a young Black fashion designer from Colombia's largely-poor Pacific region, is dressing Vice-President Francia Marquez - the first Afro-Colombian woman to hold the post - in what he calls "resistance" fashion.