Backstage at Elie Saab Spring Summer 2017

Rewinding back to February of 2020, everyone that was anyone in the fashion industry made their way to Milan after a week in Paris followed by London, to witness the craftsmanship and elegance that Italian fashion houses never fail to flaunt. Covid cases were rising in the fashion capital, yet there was still a great question mark on what the pandemic meant for the fashion world. Cases rose drastically during Milan Fashion Week and just days after, Italy went on a full lockdown for over two months. The fashion world went into a hysteric frenzy, with shows being cancelled across the world because of the fear of the pandemic. Today, with the significant rise of Covid cases because of the outburst of the Omicron variant, the fashion world is faced with one major question. Will fashion weeks get cancelled?

Instagram @giorgioarmani
Giorgio Armani presents ‘One Night Only’ in Dubai | Instagram @giorgioarmani

Giorgio Armani was the first – and so far only – major fashion house to put a halt on its plans to showcase its Men’s Autumn/Winter collection in Milan and Haute Couture show in Paris later this month. The fashion house released a statement regarding its cancellations, “as the designer has expressed on many occasions, the shows are crucial and irreplaceable occasions but the health and safety of both employees and the public must once again take priority.”

Gucci Autumn Winter 2021 | Instagram @gucci

With that being said, the curiosity of whether or not other luxury brands will follow comes to mind, and it’s fair to also question if fashion weeks will ever go back to normal. I remember my first ever fashion show back in 2019, where Matty Bovan presented his Autumn/Winter collection during London Fashion Week. As overwhelming as it was, the crowds bustling through to get the best seats in the room and the excitement of meeting and greeting fashion icons outside the shows were some of the most exhilarating parts of attending a show. Even if other fashion shows still take place, will the indescribable and thrilling feeling of attending a fashion show ever really be the same if we’re forced to socially distance, and will we really enjoy and appreciate the hard work put into pulling off extravagant shows and collections if we have a constant dormant fear of the pandemic? I guess we’ll have to wait and see.