Ever since the coronavirus started to spread uncontrollably, the World Health Organization (WHO) made a statement and declared a pandemic situation. Inevitably, this caused a lot of impact in many sectors of the society. The fashion industry was one of them.
The organization of São Paulo’s Fashion Week postponed all the events that were scheduled to happen in the end of April. This would’ve been the 49th edition of the event. In a note, they announced that the 50 edition – SPFW 25th anniversary – is still on. The parade is arranged to happen in October. In the rest of the world the situation isn’t divergent. The Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, responsible for the Paris Fashion Week (male and female) scheduled to July, also published their concerns about the virus situation and canceled both events. Similar to that, the British Fashion Council opted to suspend the male Fashion Week that was happening in July as well.
“Considering the current situation and following the guidance of Chinese authorities, Chanel has decided to postpone its project of a replica of the Paris — 31 Rue Cambon 2019/20 Métiers d’art collection in May in Beijing to a later and more appropriate moment”, said the Chanel’s representative in a note about the show that were scheduled to happen last month.
As a whole, the entire season Fall/Winter 2020 was profoundly affected, although there were some exceptions. In February, some European Fashion Weeks shows were allowed to happen, applying restricted sanitary measures. The Milan Fashion show was broadcasted live and had some material released on social media.
WHAT ABOUT THE MET GALA?
The 2020 edition of the Met Gala ball is going to be special – it’s the celebration of the 150 years of Metropolitan Museum of Art. The theme was announced last year: “Fashion and Duration”, according to Andrew Bolton, the responsible for the Costume Institute, a combination of time, fashion and nature.
There are big hopes about this Met Gala. It is one of the most expected red carpets of the year. However, it had to be postponed and it is schedule to happen in October.
THE IMPACT IN THE SALES INDUSTRY
In a brighter side, the study points out that the pandemic will bright new values involving sustainability, putting as main point the act of rethink materialism and consumerism. The consumers affected by the global recession will have more conscience than never before, and will have second thoughts about the way they shop.
ACTION
Another Haute Couture brand that committed itself to solidarity was Louis Vuitton. In partnership with the Mode Grande Ouest textile network, it started to produce masks and donated the much-needed protective gear to frontline healthcare workers in France. Burberry decided to adjust their factories and start to produce masks as well. The productions were later delivered to the British Health national service. The brand is also financing research about the coronavirus vaccine in the Oxford University.
THE FUTURE
Fashion will change from now on, from industry to consumers. As many others sectors of society, the fashion world will have to reinvent itself. It became a necessity to reframe the way the industry behaves and the same goes to the buyer. As the world recover itself from this terrible disease, it’s up to people to remodel their values of consumerism and focus on respect the isolation measures.
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The article above was edited by Gabriela Girardi
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