Coronavirus – and its effects on fashion

Coronavirus, otherwise known as Covid-19 and originating in China, has now been identified in every continent apart from Antarctica. For those still unsure about the nature of the virus, coronaviruses (in humans) cause respiratory tract infections that are usually mild and offer symptoms synonymous with the common cold. However, there are some rarer strains such as Covid-19 that have proven fatal. First identified in Wuhan as the last month of 2019 drew to a close, the virus has now killed over 3,000 people worldwide – the vast majority in mainland China – and causing hysteria and confused panic for many people. As a growing cause for concern, the possible pandemic has infiltrated the diverse world we live in, even in terms of the fashion industry; show cancellations, factory shutdowns and empty shops are just a few of the worrying knock-on effects within this international community.

For the fashion industry, coronavirus couldn’t have come at a worse time. With Milan Fashion Week taking place between the 18 and 24 February 2020, the alarming infiltration of the virus into northern Italian provinces even led Giorgio Armani to cancel the public viewing of his women’s Autumn/Winter show on Sunday the 23rd February. Instead of calling off the show altogether, he showcased it as a live stream while releasing a statement claiming he did so in order to ‘safeguard the wellbeing’ of his guests ‘by not having them attend crowded spaces’. Nothing but a sombre and eerie tone could be felt as the designer stepped out to an empty room at the end of his 4pm show. Following this disruption, both the The National Chamber of Italian Fashion and Michele Kors had to cancel their Sunday night events amid public health concerns.

While Armani was the only Italian fashion house to make a last-minute move to cancel, the same cannot be said for other international designers; Chinese-based designer Angel Chen had to cancel her Milan Fashion Week due to the outbreak. In the meantime she has taken to producing a face mask collection with proceeds going towards helping her local Chinese community.

Hot on the heels of Milan fashion week, Paris saw a number of Chinese Brands such as Uma Wang, Maison Mai and Shiatzy Chen pull out of their shows. Those who could still make it opted to avoid the airports by driving from Milan to Paris, meanwhile A-lister celebrities making appearances from across the globe ditched their airplane beauty sheet-masks for virus-preventing face masks. Vogue even reported that The Lanvin show provided ‘face masks and hand sanitiser’ for guests, models and makeup teams.

It seems that while fashion week was physically impossible to get to for some, others were adopting a 'show must go on' type of attitude. Nevertheless in both cases, fashion week has certainly taken on a more subdued, melancholic and frantic mood compared to the norm.

Following the cancellation of China’s fashion shows in Shanghai and Beijing – both scheduled in March – it seems that coronavirus is also hitting the production companies and sales of the fashion industry itself. Because China fell victim to such a rapid initial outbreak, the factories producing stock have had to shut down due to imposed quarantines. As a result, the factories themselves could face fines for overdue deadlines whilst being overtaken by their international competitors who are now being turned to by western retailers in order to meet the high demands of consumerism. Even Primark – a British retail giant – has warned that, despite its short-term sufficiency of inventory, this may not be the case for the long-term sourcing from China.

Amid the panic, there is at least one positive to arise out of the effects of coronavirus and that is the beauty of the vast diversity within the fashion industry. Despite the physical struggles and health concerns of being able to organise, plan and facilitate the virus over the last month, the fashion future of coronavirus is not as bleak as some tabloids may lead us to believe.

On the same day that Armani cancelled his show, Dolce and Gabbana continued with theirs and ended with 12 Chinese models wearing designs taken from Chinese culture; according to the designer, this was meant as ‘a message of love’ for the country where the majority of people have been affected. Similarly, many international friends over the fashion industry have been offering some much needed support for those in isolation and lockdown, while others have made donations to the Chinese Health Authorities. Despite the forced physical separation, those who can are continuing with day-to-day life, whether that is by conducting business electronically or simply taking precautions to self-quarantine and protect the safety of others. While the future of the virus remains uncertain, it seems there is hope in the belief that in diversity we get solidarity.