Paris Fashion Week is moving forward as planned. On Wednesday morning, the Fédération e la Haute Couture et de la Mode announced that the Fall season of shows will proceed as scheduled, despite the coronavirus pandemic. In a statement, they wrote that Paris Fashion Week "will take place from Monday September 28th to Tuesday October 6th and will comply for its implementation to the recommendations of public authorities.”
While safety is paramount, the Fédération’s choice to move forward with Fashion Week can be viewed as a last-ditch effort support the flailing fashion industry. In the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, the fashion industry is on the verge of becoming a mortuary of lost brands, young designers who ran out of money, and boarded up storefronts that show the casualties along the way. At the same time, Fashion Week is a huge expense and its traditional format doesn't exactly allow for social distancing with crowds gathering in and outside the shows.
There's no word yet on the status of the other four cities who would, under normal circumstances, already be prepping for the coming season. Fashion Weeks in New York, London, and Milan take place in the days leading up to Paris, traditionally beginning right after Labor Day.
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