Kinshasa: France honors the inaugural class of the Regional Fashion Institute

Kinshasa, February 4^th, 2026 (CPA) – The first graduating class of young designers trained at the Regional Fashion Institute in Africa (IRMA) in Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, were honored by the French Minister for Francophonie at the closing ceremony of the session organized at the institute, the CPA learned Wednesday from a press release. « Alongside Marie-Thérèse Sombo, Minister of Higher Education of the DRC, the French Minister Delegate for Francophonie, International Partnerships and French Nationals Abroad, Éléonore Caroit, took part in the first cohort of the Regional Fashion Institute. On this occasion, they praised the success of this inaugural class, which brought together young talents from the DRC, the Central African Republic, Congo-Brazzaville, and Cameroon, » the statement read.  “The two officials spoke with the nine students in this first cohort, who presented the fruits of their labor in a fashion show highlighting waste recycling and sketching the contours of tomorrow’s fashion,” reported the French Embassy in Kinshasa. It should be noted that the opening session of this fashion design training institution began in May 2025 under the leadership of the French Embassy in the DRC.  This project, supported by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, aims to promote the fashion industry in the DRC and showcase local creative talent. It will include training programs, exhibitions on SAPE, and an observatory of fashion in Africa. The Regional Institute of Fashion in Africa is a third place dedicated to creation, learning, and innovation. Located in the heart of Kinshasa, it combines training, incubation, and specialized services to support the emergence of a new generation of talent in the fashion industry. Its mission is to make Kinshasa an educational and creative capital of fashion in Central and French-speaking Africa by training tomorrow’s leaders in the textile and design industry. Well before her participation in the closing ceremony of the academic session at IRMA, the source reports that the French minister was also received by her Congolese counterpart in charge of Francophonie and the diaspora, Chrispain Mbadu.  Their discussions focused mainly on the future of the French language and the central role played by the DRC within the Francophonie as a demographic, cultural, and political pillar.