The first-ever online Paris fashion week clicks off with the world of runway shows thrown into an existential crisis by the coronavirus. Dior has replaced its usual runway show with a short film by Italian Director Matteo Garrone, showcasing a miniature collection.

Across Africa, initiation rituals are meant to mark the important transition from boyhood to manhood. In South Africa, the initiation season results in the death of dozens of boys every year, and leaves hundreds more seriously injured.

Pragmatism and resilience aren't usually words associated with high-end fashion, but that was before the Covid-19 pandemic. FRANCE 24 takes you around the world to see how designers are innovating. In Beirut, fashion house Tony Ward is turning its attention away from high-end ball gowns and towards other more immediately useful creations. In Marseille, Atelier Bartavelle is sourcing locally and prioritising artistic collaborations. Last but not least, in Taipei, we discover two labels pushing the boundaries of innovation: DYCTeam and Just In XX.

Amid a global protest movement following the killing of George Floyd, the poet, slam artist and organizer Aja Monet, author and journalist Dimitry Elias Léger and filmmaker Damian Kudelka join Eve Jackson for a difficult conversation about the role art has in fighting racism and helping change happen.

Germany's major biannual fashion event is leaving the capital and moving to Frankfurt. Officials hope the move will transform Germany's financial hub into a new "international fashion metropolis."

When Qatar's neighbors suddenly cut ties and closed borders with the Gulf state, Doha was caught out. Opportunities to cooperate since have been lost when sorely needed. But a window to mend the rift may be opening.

In this week's French Connections show, Florence Villeminot and Genie Godula continue to explore the long-term impact coronavirus is having on French society, starting with the language. According to the Académie française, the official guard dog of the French language, Covid-19 is feminine. What other new words and expressions have popped up in the wake of the pandemic? Meanwhile, as cafés and restaurants cautiously re-open, many French people are thrilled to return to a semblance of normalcy.

Fashion prizes have long given young designers a chance to prove their worth. The prestigious Open My Med award, financed by the Maison Mode Méditerranée, offers designers the opportunity for mentoring and exposure. But things are very different in the time of Covid-19. Among this year’s winners, Flore Girard de Langlade in Marseille and Romzy in Dakar are making the best of a bad situation, while Quoï Alexander in Paris is questioning whether he still has a future in fashion. FRANCE 24 went to meet them.

Luxurious red carpet fashion at the Cannes Film Festival is enlivened by carefree, tropical color trends. From Uma Thurman and Charlize Theron in canary yellow, to Jane Fonda and Eva Longoria in aquamarine, here's a review of the most powerful style statements through the years.

bMargherita Borgo is the owner of a beauty centre in Milan, a profession that has not yet been allowed by the Italian government to resume its activity.

Fashion has always known how to adapt to the world around it - and that's never been truer than right now. Face masks, once worn as fashion statements, have become indispensable amid the coronavirus pandemic. Big luxury groups and smaller outfits alike have repurposed their production lines to produce vital protective equipment. Covid-19 is forcing the world of fashion to take a long, hard look in the mirror. Who better to discuss these unprecedented times than Parisian designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac? He joins us on the show under lockdown.

Back in January, Paris was once again the global hub of haute couture, providing the backdrop for the summer’s couture collections. It’s an art form out of reach for most budgets. But, at its best, it can carry powerful messages about artistic and economic freedom. At Julien Fournié and Alexandre Vauthier, it’s all about turning a dream into reality through the client and their couturier working together. Meanwhile, at Franco-Turkish fashion house Dice Kayek, founder Ece Ege explains how couture helps women in the industry stand on their own two feet.