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 displays a collection by graduates of the British Higher School of Art & Design during the Fashion Week at Zaryadye Park near Red Square in Moscow, Russia, Friday, June 24, 2022. (Photo by Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP Photo)

A woman sits next to a dog during the fifth edition of the “Mi Mascota” (My Pet) fair in Malaga, southern Spain, November 27, 2016. (Photo by Jon Nazca/Reuters)

Models present creations of the label Mas Holdings during the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Grandpass in Colombo, Sri Lanka, 28 October 2017. (Photo by M.A. Pushpa Kumara/EPA/EFE)

Models walk down the runway during the Addition Elle/Ashley Graham Lingerie Collection fashion show during the Spring 2016 Style 360 on September 15, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Fernando Leon/Getty Images)

Models get ready before hitting the catwalk at the French Ministry of Culture during the dwarf fashion show in Paris, France, Friday October 2, 2015. The show is an event organizers say is aimed at highlighting the elitism and prejudice that the model industry encourages in its depiction of bodies. It is presented during the Paris Fashion Week but is not part of it. (Photo by Jerome Delay/AP Photo)

A model poses backstage during the International Flamenco Fashion Show in Seville, Spain, on February 2, 2013. (Photo by Associated Press/Miguel Angel Morenatti)