Fashion

The first edition of the IWP in 1954 crowned none other than Yves Saint Laurent and Karl Lagerfeld. Fast forward to today, when designers from around the world compete for a prize fund of 200,000 Australian dollars and a prestigious mentoring program. The collections must be made from 100% wool and respect the principles of sustainable fashion. The Grand Prix this year was awarded to Nigerian designer Adeju Thomson, who was inspired by the idea of "decolonising design". 

Modest fashion is a way of dressing that respects specific clothing requirements for reasons of faith and also personal preference. The market for modest fashion is huge – and it's only getting bigger, with both designers and influencers keen to get in on the action. FRANCE 24 went to check out the second edition of Paris Modest Fashion Week. 

What are the hidden resources today's fashion designers can draw on? Research and exploration, which spark creativity. Young Ukrainian designer Ivan Frolov digs deep into our propensity to seek the source of our desires. Dutch designer Iris van Herpen immerses herself in the depths of the ocean. Back on dry land, Japan's Yuima Nakazato explores Nairobi's mountain of garbage. Dutch duo Viktor & Rolf take an intellectual approach to research with an ironic take on glamour, while France's Alexandre Vauthier explores the practical needs of his clients.

In Lomé, the capital of Togo, Jacques Logoh has good reason to be cheerful. The young designer and founder of the Togo International Fashion Festival has made it his mission to ensure the event embodies the values of diversity. Alex and Kim are androgynous models. They're walking for – among others – Fauvette Nacto, in a show that's a celebration of marriage in all its forms. It’s a theme that a number of designers have been inspired by this year. FRANCE 24 went to take a closer look.

All fashion designers have one thing in common: whatever the challenges, however much the odds appear stacked against them, they find a way to keep working. Yohji Yamamoto, having recently lost two close family members, uses his anger as the force behind a period of contemplation. Meanwhile, Ukrainian designers Svitlana Bevza and Lilia Litkovska ensure they find ways to express themselves through clothes, despite living in a country at war. 

Before he arrived on the scene, fashion photography was stuck in a rut, endlessly repeating the stale poses of the 1950s. But US photographer Arthur Elgort turned all that on its head in the early 1970s when he started his long collaboration with Vogue. Today, at 82 years old and despite suffering a stroke, he's still working. We caught up with him in central Paris, where the Azzedine Alaia Foundation is dedicating an exhibition to him. The two fashion giants worked closely over the course of decades and were close friends.