What happened
As the industry pivots to digital thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, one significant industry event boldly announced a comeback this week.
The organizer of Paris Fashion Week, Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, confirmed it is going to hold its Womenswear Spring 2021 show from September 28 to October 6. The event “will comply with the recommendations of public authorities,” the organizer said in a statement, adding that there will also be an official online platform for the show.
Jing Take:#
Earlier this year, Chinese fashion show guests were stuck at home during the fashion week season when the COVID-19 outbreak erupted in China’s central city of Wuhan. But this time, the situation might be reversed.
Despite a recent outbreak in Beijing that sent locals back inside for another lockdown, the pandemic is mostly under control in China. As a result, Beijing’s earlier travel restrictions, which were dubbed the "Five One" policy, will be lifted after June 30. And as of this month, European airlines such as Air France and Lufthansa resumed their weekly flights to China.
But concurrently, the European Union is considering banning American visitors since the US has failed to control the virus stateside. Paris Fashion Week has surely considered these uncertainties, which is why establishing an online version of the event is a viable backup plan.
The Jing Take reports on a piece of the leading news and presents our editorial team’s analysis of the key implications for the luxury industry. In the recurring column, we analyze everything from product drops and mergers to heated debate sprouting on Chinese social media.