Fashion

For 32 years, the Villa Noailles in Hyères on the French Riviera has been hosting the International Festival of Fashion and Photography. This year, as ever, it’s a hive of activity. Contenders for the top prizes mingle with creative directors, sponsors and buyers from across the industry. For those working in fashion or photography, it’s an unmissable event. FRANCE 24 went to check it out.

Madrid Fashion Week unveils rich (Francis Montesinos), singular (Devota & Lomba) and even militant (Ana Locking) collections, inspired by tradition and iconic characters who have shaped Spanish history. Andrès Sarda reinterprets the French Revolution with actress Victoria Abril, while Pepa Salazar modernizes the feminine silhouette. In the footsteps of Pedro Aldmodovar, Palomo Spain depicts a new generation. All the designs carry a message and mix art with transgression. FRANCE 24 takes a look.

"Africa Now" brings an impressive selection of artists, designers, singers and dancers to the French capital. When a French department store decides to hold a show on its rooftop, it’s proof the event has gone mainstream. Stylist and buyer Amah Ayivi has created five scenes grouped under the title "The Great Parade of African Style". Gospel singers sit alongside voodoo witches, while soldiers blend with evangelical Christians and Congolese "sapeurs". FRANCE 24 takes you to check it out.

When it comes to technology, fashion designers need to find ways to use tech that make sense. Today, technology needs to be invisible, and it needs to enhance elegance, rather than detract from it. It also needs to be seen as a solution to real problems. FRANCE 24 takes you to check out some of the most futuristic trends - including a spider shell (pictured) that wards off attackers!

Paris Fashion Week is embracing feminism and multiculturalism like never before. Haider Ackermann opens his show with three black models striding down the catwalk, while Dior showcases an androgynous model. Japanese label Sacai paints a picture of feminine strength, as Delphine Delafon wows with her "Desperadas Punk" collection and Sonia Rykiel advocates a women's revolution. Last but not least, at Saint Laurent it's all about geometric glamour, while Chanel aims for the stars!

It's Paris Fashion Week and the hotly anticipated ready-to-wear Autumn/Winter 2017/2018 collections don't disappoint. Johanna Senyk names her latest offering for Wanda Nylon "In Praise of Diversity" – a nod to a new trend for political fashion. Meanwhile, Dries van Noten celebrates his 100th catwalk show, as Indian designer Manish Arora marks his label’s 10th birthday. Bouchra Jarrar reveals her second collection for Lanvin, and Simon Porte Jacquemus pays tribute to the bullfighting aesthetic.

When we talk about cuts in the world of haute couture, we're usually talking about clothes. But there's another type of cut that's integral to high fashion: haircuts! Twice a year, French Haute Coiffure's members from around the globe gather in Paris to discover new trends in hairdressing and to master the latest techniques in cutting and colouring. Hair shows are also becoming popular in Africa. FRANCE 24 checks out the International Festival of African Fashion in Agadez, Niger. Finally, we meet Murielle Kabile, a visionary artist who realised that hair can be used just like clothes.

Haute Couture is a fantasy, but it’s also about the art of creating one-off pieces and a lab for research and experimentation. FRANCE checks out the latest runway shows. Schiaparelli and Julien Fournie are elevated to the rank of fully-fledged couturiers. Iris Van Herpen and Yuima Nakazato experiment with 3D printers. Israeli designer Galia Lahav produces gowns in Tel Aviv. As for the label Vêtements, it's inspired by the social profiles you’d see in an airport or on the subway.

It's Paris Fashion Week and time to check out the spring-summer 2017 Haute Couture collections. Dior is celebrating 70 years with a masked ball at the Rodin Museum. For the first time, a woman, Maria Grazia Chiuri, is in charge of the Haute Couture collection. Meanwhile, Chanel, with its show at the Grand Palais, imagines a dazzling digital world. As for Jean Paul Gaultier, he remains the enfant terrible of French fashion.

Sadly, men tend to stick to the tried and tested when it comes to outfits. They don’t seem to realise that men's fashion has answers to more questions than you ever knew to ask. All that remains is to decide which answers are right for you! We check out the latest winter 2017/2018 collections, from unisex to tribal offerings.