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 wears a creation by Inmaculada Martinez on the backstage, during the International Flamenco Fashion Show SIMOF in the Andalusian capital of Seville, Spain February 8, 2019. (Photo by Marcelo del Pozo/Reuters)

A model displays a creation by Portuguese designer David Ferreira on the second day of the Lisbon Fashion Week, at the Carlos Lopes Pavillion in Lisbon, Portugal, 09 March 2019. (Photo by Miguel A. Lopes/EPA/EFE)

A model presents a hairstyle creation by stylist Flavia Attard Borg during the Malta Fashion Awards, the climax of Malta Fashion Week, in Valletta, Malta on May 31, 2019. (Photo by Darrin Zammit Lupi/Reuters)

Models Felicia Verna and Crystal Boyd wearing Stacey Angela during the Fallen Hearts Fashion Experience at Symphony Space on May 31, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images)

Bella Hadid, Vittoria Ceretti and Gigi Hadid are seen backstage ahead of the Alberta Ferretti show during Milan Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2018 on September 20, 2017 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by WWD/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

Models prepare themselves backstage ahead of the International Dwarf Fashion Show, on September 26, 2017 in Paris, France. (Photo by Thomas Samson/AFP Photo)