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Having already pushed his February New York Fashion Week show to April, designer Ralph Lauren has reportedly decided to call off the event entirely, out of concern for coronavirus. A spokesperson for the brand told WWD on Tuesday night that, “In light of the ongoing uncertainties related to the novel coronavirus around the world, we have decided to cancel our fall 2020 show as a precautionary measure and out of respect for our teams, partners and consumers. Our primary focus remains on their health and safety.”
In early February, Lauren announced that he would stage a “special show” to debut his collection at an undisclosed New York City location sometime in April. But since then, the spread of coronavirus has spiked dramatically within the United States: At least 152 people nationwide have now tested positive for the highly contagious, pneumonia-like virus, while another 11 people have died.
Around the world, the case count has topped 92,000, the potential pandemic throwing wrenches into many facets of the global economy. Fashion month certainly suffered disruptions given the high demand for attendees to travel between major cities weathering outbreaks. In Milan, Giorgio Armani canceled his runway show, offering a closed-doors livestream instead, while Michael Kors also canceled his event. Face masks and hand sanitizer reigned supreme in Paris.
Looking forward, Gucci has also canceled its cruise 2021 show, scheduled for May 18 in San Francisco, “as a precautionary measure,” explaining that it will announce a new date and location “once the situation becomes clearer.” Prada has also indefinitely postponed its resort 2021 show, originally slated for May 21 in Tokyo.