Lebanese couture is revered around the world for its flamboyance and artistry, with collections destined for clients based in Saudi Arabia, the Emirates and the US. But in recent months, a crippling economic crisis, the Covid-19 pandemic and of course August's catastrophic Beirut port explosion have threatened the industry like never before. Some of the biggest names in Beirut fashion, including the likes of Elie Saab and Tony Ward, spoke to FRANCE 24 about their experience of the past few months.

Residents of Owerri, the capital and its environs are now living every minute with uncertainty. They want government to rise to the challenge of preventing violent attacks that have become so frequent in the state

When she was only a teenager, Valerie Ka graced catwalks across the African continent as a model and muse. As her political consciousness grew, she became a flagbearer for contemporary African fashion around the world. Today, in a boutique hotel in Paris’s 8th arrondissement, she is overseeing the very first edition of her latest project: Share Africa.

This week, we chat to Australian jazz singer, pianist and composer Sarah McKenzie, who is currently touring France with a mini residency at the prestigious Duc des Lombards jazz club. She tells us more about the creative way in which she connected with musicians from around the world at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. We also meet young Parisian artist Yoa, whose bedroom pop-filled debut EP "Attente" has just been released.

You probably know that when a water bottle in a freezer reaches zero degrees, its volume changes, causing the bottle to explode. If you've studied thermodynamics, you may know that magnets gradually lose their magnetic charge when heated.

It is an exhibition of dazzling costumes made up of the finest materials such as beads and feathers. Behind it, though, lies a story of violence and resilience. In Paris, a new exhibition celebrates the cultural and artistic creativity of African Americans in New Orleans. Perhaps the most spectacular way that the creativity is displayed is in the costumes of the Black Indians carnival parade. Our guest from the Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac told us more.

In 2016, the global streaming service, Netflix, announced its presence in Africa’s most populous country with streaming on the platform of ‘Fifty’, an Ebony Life Studios film directed by the late Biyi Bandele. Four years after, in 2020, Netflix Naija was born as the company acquired the rights to Genevieve Nnaji’s 2018 film, ‘Lionheart’, and began their own commissioned projects.