Paris Fashion Week Menswear and Haute Couture Week have been canceled.
According to Business of Fashion, which does not specifically mention ongoing COVID-19 containment efforts, the board of directors of the Fédération de la haute couture et de la Mode made the announcement Friday. Per the report, "alternatives" of some sort for both events are currently in the works.
PFW Menswear was set for June 23 to June 28, while Haute Couture Week was slated for July 2 to July 9.
Additional info on the announcement-teased "alternative" plans is expected to be unveiled soon.
The National Chamber of Italian Fashion also announced Milano Fashion Week Men's will not take place between June 19-23, as originally planned. Instead, the menswear shows will be presented during Milan's womenswear week in September. Similar to Paris organizers, the Italian non-profit said it was working on "digital alternatives" that would be shown during the original June dates; this will ensure the buying schedule would not be disturbed.
"We are aware that great efforts will be made in order to have the new collections ready by June to start an innovative selling campaign," the statement read. "The 800 Milan showrooms will have an active part in this new storytelling."
The fashion industry, like many other business sectors, has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. Large department stores—such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, and Selfridges—have been forced to closed, while the CFDA Awards, Met Gala, and other high-profile fashion events have been postponed until further notice.
"I know that we will get through COVID-19, but on the other side more challenges await—not the least of which is grappling with our ongoing climate crisis," Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour wrote. "One day that will not arrive on schedule will be the opening of the Costume Institute’s exhibition, About Time. Due to the unavoidable and responsible decision by the Metropolitan Museum to close its doors, About Time, and the opening night gala, will not take place on the date scheduled. In the meantime, we will give you a preview of this extraordinary exhibition in our forthcoming May issue."
