Fashion

It’s become the hotspot for menswear collections: the Basso Fort in Florence is the place to catch all the new trends. After more than 50 years, Pitti Uomo is more than a seasonal fashion showcase; it’s one of the vectors of the Italian economy. This season we’ve seen some incredible work on the use and functionality of high-performance fabrics - including from designer of honour, Britain's Paul Smith. FRANCE 24 takes you to check out some of these innovative collections.

Fashion seems to have moved on from being the wallflower at the party. Jean Paul Gaultier started the trend back in January 2016. Dance is now everywhere, whether it's in the Fashion Films of Kenzo or of Galeries Lafayette. Meanwhile, with a sense of theatricality that has a very French touch, Chanel presented its collection dedicated to artistic craftsmanship at the Ritz in Paris - with dancing models. Don't miss it!

Known as the “Magician of the desert”, Nigerien fashion designer Alphadi is about to open the 10th edition of his International Festival for Fashion in Africa, or FIMA, in Agadez. The festival has long sought to highlight the variety and diversity of African fashion, promoting the rising stars of the catwalk, and more importantly, fighting against racism. This year’s grand prize for the best young designer has been awarded to 22-year-old Hamza Guemous. A graduate of the Casamoda in Casablanca.

He is the only fashion designer who is a member of the French academy of fine arts. French couturier Pierre Cardin has chosen to celebrate the 70th anniversary of his fashion house in the very same room where French chemist Louis Pasteur once presented his discoveries. The 94-year-old Cardin, who experimented with geometric silhouettes and sculptural volumes, dressed the Beatles and brought the Mao suit to Europe, remains a towering figure in the history of fashion.

Fashion designers love it when the temperature drops as winter collections are made up of more clothes. And when it comes to menswear, cold weather allows for a little more creativity. This winter, menswear will be full of contrast – with playful touches of femininity and humour! FRANCE 24 went to check out the collections of Yohji Yamamoto, Balmain, Thom Browne, Christian Dada, Dries Van Noten, Paul Smith, Andrea Crews, Pigalle and Dior in Paris.

Fashion is most exciting when it transcends its primary function – that is, protecting you from the cold, or protecting your modesty... This winter, fashion designers have decided to focus on the 1970s and 80s, reworking iconic looks into something contemporary and universal. The result is confident and colourful silhouettes. With so much to choose from, it’s time to decide what to wear this winter. FRANCE 24 takes you to the Paris catwalks to get some ideas.

Franco-Tunisian designer Azzedine Alaïa has chosen to disregard the official fashion calendar – presenting his summer 2017 collection in the comfort of his own home. With 50 years in the industry behind him, this free spirit has become a reference in the world of luxury brands. Alaïa shuns the notion of fast fashion and the constraints of a market governed by a relentless cycle of trends. His collections are released only when they’re ready. FRANCE 24 went to take a look.

Supporting the young generation of designers has become an integral part of fashion capitals' missions around the world. Paris is no exception, and since 2012 the French couture federation has been organising the Designers' Apartment initiative. The event brings together the most promising young brands in a giant showroom in the heart of the capital during Fashion Week. The goal is to convince journalists and buyers of the new designers’ creativity and talent.

At Christian Dior, new Italian creative director Maria Grazia reveals her first collection against a minimalist backdrop - it's fashion meets feminism. Stella McCartney urges responsible fashion, while Vanessa Seward remains faithful to her sophisticated retro-chic aesthetic. Julie de Libran pays homage to late fashion pioneer Sonia Rykiel. And at Chanel, high-tech is the order of the day, as Karl Lagerfeld embraces psychedelic elegance.

We’re at the Paris Fashion Week where Lanvin’s new artistic director of women collections, Bouchra Jarrar, presents her first collection for the fashion house. It will also be a first for Alexander Vaccarello since he took up the same position at Saint Laurent. And while Dries Van Noten shows off a burning alchemy mixing both elegance and discretion, Wanda Nylon and Anrealage play with new materials and Simon Jacquemus uses silhouettes. Manish Arora, meanwhile, is inspired by “My Little Pony”.