COVID-19 arrived in Italy during Milan Fashion Week, causing many to return to their home countries early. But few people could have predicted that the pandemic would affect the next round of fashion shows scheduled roughly six months later. Alas, the first label to announce the cancellation of its SS21 catwalk show has arrived — and in all likelihood, it won’t be the last.
On Sunday, French fashion house Saint Laurent released a statement formally calling off its scheduled Paris Fashion Week show for the SS21. According to the statement, “Saint Laurent will take ownership of its calendar and launch its collections following a plan conceived with an up-to-date perspective, driven by creativity.”
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The house, led by creative director Anthony Vaccarello, stated that the decision was made due to “the current circumstance and its waves of radical change.” “Now more than ever, the brand will lead its own rhythm, legitimating the value of time and connecting with people globally by getting closer to them in their own space and lives,” the release says.
The statement by Saint Laurent follows recent news from the British Fashion Council which announced their plans to take London Fashion Week digital and gender-neutral. Earlier in the year, it was announced that haute couture and men’s fashion weeks in London, Paris, and Milan — all of which were set to take place this summer — would either no longer take place or be merged with womenswear shows in September (at least in the case of Milan’s menswear shows). Taking into account Saint Laurent’s announcement, the question of when we’ll see another physical fashion show take place remains unanswered.
Until further reports are made, though, we have to assume that other prominent brands are still planning to show in September. Bottega Veneta, set to present during Milan Fashion Week, shared with Refinery29 that for now, they have no intention to cancel their show. Celine, too, had no cancellation plans to share.
As for Saint Laurent’s plans going forward, CEO Francesca Bellettini told WWD that they’ll continue to advertise throughout the year. “The release of the campaigns will probably align with the arrival of the collections in the stores, and the media chosen will be those that communicate best with local clientele in each market.”