Fashion

Oliviero Toscani was at the helm of Benetton’s ground-breaking advertising campaigns in the 1990s. The clothes took a back seat, while politics - everything from racism to AIDS and anorexia – came to the fore. He also launched the Colors magazine, and founded La Fabrica, a centre dedicated to art and communication. For Toscani, fashion photography needs to be art. Today Toscani’s focus is on marriage. It’s part of a collaborative project with the YellowKorner gallery.

For her Paris show, Iris van Herpen brought the notions of perception and illusion into her work. Her fascinating collection is called "Lucid dream". Also on the show, Paul McCartney who speaks about his daughter’s work, Stella McCartney, and Hedi Slimane who pays tribute to the 70s.

After New York, London and Milan, 2016’s winter collections have touched down here in Paris. That means 92 catwalk shows, 50 or so private viewings and 5,000 visitors. One face stands out among the crowds. At 94 years old, Iris Apfel is here for the Dries Van Noten show. Also, Jacquemus reacts to the see now/buy now debate, while blogger Kristina Bazan muses on Anthony Vaccarello’s sexy outfits. As for Christelle Kocher, she presented her collection in socially mixed district of Paris.

The American fashion industry is one of the world's most dynamic and exciting. Amidst the onslaught of runway shows and private viewings during New York Fashion Week, two labels in particular stand out. One is a modern Parisian house, Lacoste, headed up by Portuguese designer Felipe Oliveira Baptista. The other is the essence of American counter-culture, Hood By Air, designed by Shayne Oliver. In New York, fashion is responding to the chaos around it.

Fashion can be an effective means for challenging preconceptions. Blogger Sandrine Ciron’s mission is simple: to make people think differently about disability. We check out the second "Fashion Handi, Fashion for All" runway show, featuring both disabled and able-bodied models.

The 2016 spring-summer haute couture collections did nothing less but dazzle its fashion-conscious audience in Paris. While Viktor&Rolf took on a cubist approach, Schiaparelli went surrealist and Armani monochrome. Others, like Yiqing Yin, incorporated chains into the much-awaited show, and Valli had Napoléon’s sisters dancing down the runway.

Time for a spot of sheer indulgence. We take you to Paris haute couture fashion week, where designers are unveiling their Spring/Summer 2016 collections. More than ever, the catwalk is where dreams become reality. Jean Paul Gaultier resurrects the spirit of the 1980s, Dior wows even without an artistic director, Chanel goes Scandinavian, while Alexandre Vauthier opts for all-out glamour. In short, this is haute couture at its very best.

With its oversized coats, comfortable cuts, and exaggerated forms, 2016's masculine winter wardrobe will be edgy, but never overworked. Men's fashion week designers are united in their pursuit of sartorial innovation. Rick Owens offers a confident, calm aesthetic, Issey Miyake goes globetrotting, Walter Van Beirendonck combines cuddly toys with heavy machinery, AVOC and Strateas Carlucci get technical with their materials, and Raf Simons goes back to school with a disconcerting twist.

Men have a tendency to be drawn to the homogenous when it comes to fashion: suits and shirts for work, jeans and T-shirts in their down time. But not here in Florence, Italy, where the Basso fort is hosting the 89th edition of Pitti Uomo, the world’s largest men’s fashion event. The government wants to capitalise on the influx of fashion enthusiasts, forging tighter links between art, textile and tourism. And it is here that Korean designer Juun. J is presenting his 2016-17 winter collection.

Fashion is one of the most polluting industries in the world. To raise awareness and fight ocean pollution, the NGO "Parley for the Oceans" has teamed up with Adidas to create 3D-printed sneakers made entirely of recycled plastic and fishing nets.