Saint Laurent has announced that it will no longer show during Paris Fashion Week, opting to run on its own schedule for the rest of the year, in response to the ongoing coronavirus crisis. The French fashion house revealed its new approach on Instagram this morning, explaining that the new system will be in place at least for the rest of this year.
"Conscious of the current circumstance and its waves of radical change, Saint Laurent has decided to take control of its pace and reshape its schedule," the house said."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.""With this strategy firmly in place, Saint Laurent will not present its collections in any of the pre-set schedules of 2020.
It is not clear whether or not Saint Laurent will stage any catwalk shows at all, or whether it might choose to opt for either a more intimate or a fully virtual approach to showing collections from now on. That would mark a dramatic shift for the house, which usually shows on a grand scale which, for many seasons now, have been in front of the Eiffel Tower.
The brand's announcement – which will surely not be the last of its kind from the luxury market – follows the decision to cancel men's fashion week and couture fashion week in Paris this summer and to merge the women's and men's shows in Milan. Meanwhile, London Fashion Week announced a new virtual, non-gendered approach to shows for the rest of the year.
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