- Today, the Fédération de la Haute Couture, the governing body for the French fashion industry, announced that Paris Men’s and Haute Couture fashion weeks are canceled.
- The move comes amid growing concerns for the novel coronavirus outbreak.
- Paris Men’s Fashion Week was originally slated for late June, while Haute Couture was to take place in early July.
Fashion weeks for Paris Men’s and Haute Couture have officially joined the ranks of canceled high-profile fashion events due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. Today, the Fédération de la Haute Couture, the French fashion industry’s governing body, announced that the shows would not go on as scheduled.
“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,” the federation said in a statement, per WWD. The body also said that they are currently working on possible alternatives.
Originally, Paris Men’s was slated for June 23 to June 28, while Haute Couture would have took place from July 5 to July 9.
France is currently on lockdown due to the increasing cases of COVID-19. Prime Minister Edouard Philippe recently extended the lockdown to continue until mid-April. “After these first 10 days of confinement, it is clear that we are just at the beginning of this epidemic wave,” he explained, per Reuters. “It has submerged eastern France and now it is arriving in the Paris region and northern France.”
Other prominent fashion events have also been suspended or indefinitely postponed in the wake of the pandemic, including the Met Gala and the CFDA Awards.
From: Harper’s BAZAAR US