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)

Models get prepared backstage before Wagner Kallieno Winter Collection 2016 show during Sao Paulo Fashion Week in Sao Paulo, Brazil, October 23, 2015. (Photo by Paulo Whitaker/Reuters)

Models backstage at the Lagos Fashion & Design Week in Nigeria on October 26, 2016. The opening night attracted models, buyers, consumers and the media to view the latest creations by African designers, five of whom were showcasing plus-size collections in the Nigerian city. (Photo by Stefan Heunis/AFP Photo)

(L-R) Marisa Berenson, Caroline de Maigret, Nicki Minaj and Lou Doillon attend the Haider Ackermann show as part of the Paris Fashion Week Womenswear Fall/Winter 2017/2018 on March 4, 2017 in Paris, France. (Photo by Bertrand Rindoff Petroff/Getty Images)

Model presents a creation from the Amir Slama collection during Sao Paulo Fashion Week in Sao Paulo, Brazil August 30, 2017. (Photo by Paulo Whitaker/Reuters)

A model poses prior the Etam show as part of the Paris Fashion Week Womenswear Spring/Summer 2018 on September 26, 2017 in Paris, France. (Photo by Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images)

A model presents a creation by designer Gaetano during the Malta Fashion Awards, the climax of Malta Fashion Week, in Valletta, Malta on June 2, 2018. (Photo by Darrin Zammit Lupi/Reuters)