The coronavirus pandemic is changing the fashion calendar as we know it. Following the recent announcement that London Fashion Week would be going both digital and gender neutral, it was revealed yesterday that Milan will also host a new digital fashion week, due to be held for the first time in July.
But many designers are still working to fit their collections into a new, rapidly changing landscape. This week Armani announced they will be postponing their shows rather than presenting during the digital showcase in July.
Instead Armani will present their next collection in Milan in September, reports WWD, although what format that show will take is still yet to be seen. Designer Giorgio also announced that the next Armani Privé show will be postponed until January 2021 and will no longer be shown in its traditional home of Paris, shifting instead to Milan.
Last season, Italy’s coronavirus epidemic hit Milan right in the middle of fashion week, leading to some shows being held in empty auditoriums behind closed doors, and a smattering of face masks seen on the FROW. Shortly after, the world went into lockdown and both designers and fashion editors headed indoors for the foreseeable.
Now, seemingly endless weeks later, the fashion industry is beginning to cautiously plan what the new normal might look like. Many have theorised that the crisis could lead to more sustainable practices, and that the breakneck speed with which designers are expected to create new collections will slow.