Pretty Yende

In his previous life, Luvo Maranti didn't read music and the only thing he knew about opera was who Luciano Pavarotti was. He and his friends used to imitate the Italian tenor before bursting into laughter.

This week, the 29-year-old South African will sing his lungs out at Operalia, one of the most prestigious opera competitions in the world.

From an absurdly opulent film shoot at the Opera Garnier to a Chanel catwalk along the Seine, fashion week offered a very different view of Paris on July 4 from the riots of recent days.

The country is still licking its wounds and facing up to the deep societal divisions exposed by days of violence sparked a week ago by the police killing of a teenager.