Men’s Paris Fashion Week and Couture Shows are Cancelled

Photograph courtesy of Imaxtree

Here’s what we know so far.

Two major fashion events have been cancelled today in light of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic sweeping the globe. Both Men’s Paris Fashion Week and Haute Couture Week will no longer go ahead.

Men’s Fashion Week was scheduled to take place in Paris from June 23-28, whilst Couture was on the calendar for July 5-9. According to WWD, the decision was made by the board of directors of the Fédération de la haute couture de la Mode today, adding that “alternatives are in the works.” The board also shared a statement which read: “In light of the spread of the Covid-19 epidemic worldwide, strong decisions are required to ensure the safety and health of Houses, their employees and everyone working in our industry.”

It remains to be seen as to what the alternatives could be, however alternate dates at a later time could be being considered, as too could digital presentations. As many commentators have noted in recent weeks, this pandemic is likely to reignite the conversation around whether there remains a need for physical shows in the future.

Stay tuned for more updates as they become available.

The news follows last week’s confirmation that the annual Met Gala will not take place on the first Monday on May due to coronavirus concerns. The Met said it also was looking at alternate dates for the fashion extravaganza.