Articles by AFP
Rwanda women's dress row tests its puritanical powers
A row over women's dress in Rwanda has become a flashpoint for young people chafing under the country's heavy-handed policing. The tiny nation in the Great Lakes region of east Africa presents itself as a foreigner-friendly tourism and investment destination. But its puritanical streak has come to the fore as police have cracked down in recent...
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Diana's 'revenge dress' to go up for auction in New York
Princess Diana's famous "revenge dress" that she wore on the evening that then-Prince Charles made a public admission of adultery is to be auctioned in New York in December. Diana wore the daring off-the-shoulder gown to a gala dinner in London in 1994 on the day that her husband, now the king, admitted during a TV interview to being unfaithful....
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Japan feminist theatre fights misogyny in 'cute' fashion
Donning doll-like dresses with voluminous skirts, young women on stage roar in rage about rape and sexism they experienced in Japan, using theatre and "cute" fashion to denounce male-dominated society. Meet TremendousCircus, Japan's self-described radical feminist theatre troupe that embraces the flamboyant Gothic Lolita aesthetic as a powerful...
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Ralph Lauren blends styles ahead of New York Fashion Week
New York – From a brocade jacket paired with ripped jeans to a sequined flapper dress over flowing trousers, Ralph Lauren presented a spring/summer 2027 collection “reinterpreting historical references” ahead of New York Fashion Week on Wednesday. Tailored trousers were worn with a leather jacket, a boater hat and ballet flats, watched by French...
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Audience for Temu and AliExpress drops in France during Q2, Shein remains stable
Paris - The number of visitors to the Temu and AliExpress websites significantly declined in France during the second quarter. This drop occurred even before the implementation of the three euro European tax targeting small parcels, Fevad and Médiamétrie revealed on Wednesday. “While the overall audience for the sector remains at a very high...
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France fines Boohoo 225,000 euros over missing environmental product information
France's consumer and fraud watchdog announced on Tuesday it has fined the British online clothing chain Boohoo approximately 225,000 euros for failings related to the environmental information of its products. Following an investigation in 2025, the Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF) issued an...
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Céline Dion's return to stage fuels merchandise boom
“It’s not an impulse buy, I’m owning it!” exclaimed Anthony Cayer, a Céline Dion fan who spoke to AFP in Paris. He had spent almost 400 euros in a pop-up shop dedicated to the Quebecois star. T-shirts, vinyl records and boxes of macarons are all part of the singer's long-awaited return to the stage on Saturday. This is being celebrated with a...
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Former Vuitton executives on trial for VAT fraud at Champs-Élysées store
A lavish Chinese client, who spent millions of euros on luxury goods at the Louis Vuitton store on the Champs-Élysées, allegedly received improper tax refunds. Five people, including former company executives, have been on trial since Monday at the Paris Criminal Court for organised fraud. The court accuses the defendants of processing VAT...
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Pierre Cardin museum brings designer's futurist style to Venice
Hundreds of style-setting creations from the late designer Pierre Cardin will fill his Venice palazzo later this month in a new museum celebrating the cutting-edge vision of fashion's futurist. A costume ball Thursday evening at Cardin's Venetian home of nearly 40 years, the Palazzo Bragadin, will help kick off the museum opening, scheduled for...
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China urges France to 'halt' fast-fashion law, warns of countermeasures
Beijing urged France on Thursday to abandon its recently implemented law on ultra-fast fashion, lambasting the new measure targeting major Asian e-commerce platforms including Shein and Temu as "clearly discriminatory". The law, which came into effect on Tuesday, imposes fees on certain items that will eventually reach almost 20 euros per...
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