The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s misfortunes have often eclipsed its good news, with ongoing armed conflicts and most recently an Ebola outbreak. Much of the world knows little of the country’s vibrant arts scene, and last weekend in the capital, Kinshasa, models showed off daring new looks dreamed up by local designers on the catwalk. (Photo by Olivia Acland/The Guardian)

Participants get ready ahead of a fashion show organized by Daspu, a fashion house founded and run by prostitutes, during the Women of the World (WOW) festival, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil November 18, 2018. (Photo by Pilar Olivares/Reuters)

A model presents a creation from the Juozas Statkevicius Spring-Summer 2018 fashion collection in Vilnius, Lithuania, Thursday, November 9, 2017. (Photo by Mindaugas Kulbis/AP Photo)

Liu Xu presents a creation from The Blonds Fall 2018 collection during New York Fashion Week in New York, USA, on February 14, 2018. (Photo by Caitlin Ochs/Reuters)

Models present creations from the Versace Autumn/Winter 2018 women collection during Milan Fashion Week in Milan, Italy February 23, 2018. (Photo by Alessandro Garofalo/Reuters)

General view during the Gucci event during Milan Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2017/18 on February 22, 2017 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images for Gucci)

Members of the audience sit in the centre of the catwalk as the watch models for the C/MEO Collective walk by at Fashion Week Australia in Sydney on May 17, 2017. (Photo by Jason Reed/Reuters)

Audience take photos of a model presenting a creation by Greek designer Dimitrios Ordoulidis during the 10th Athens Exclusive Fashion Week in Athens, Greece, October 22, 2016. (Photo by Alkis Konstantinidis/Reuters)