India, Dec. 7 -- Dakar Fashion Week returned for its 23rd edition on Saturday with an unconventional runway set off the coast of Senegal's capital. Models presented collections aboard brightly painted fishing boats, gripping safety ropes as the boats moved with the Atlantic tide. Audience members also watched from boats positioned nearby.

The event was founded in 2002 by Senegalese designer Adama Amanda Ndiaye, known professionally as Adama Paris, to provide visibility for African designers who were underrepresented in international fashion markets. Since then, Dakar Fashion Week has grown into one of West Africa's leading industry platforms, drawing designers, buyers and press from across the continent and abroad.

This year's edition f...