Milan, Paris and London Announce Digital Fashion Week Schedules
In the latest of fashion capitals, Milan announced last week that it will be adopting a new digital format for its shows in July with a new official name - Milano Digital Fashion Week.
The organizers Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana announced that it will take place from 14 to 17 July 2020, and showcase the Spring/Summer 2021 men’s collections and the Spring/Summer 2021 men’s and women’s pre-collections. “This is a concrete response to the need for promotion and business on the part of Brands,” they stated on their Instagram.
The digital fashion week comes with photo and video content consisting of interviews and behind-the-scenes moments.
"The digital platform will feature presentations in live streaming, keynotes by relevant personalities and live performances; in addition to interviews, behind the scenes of creative moments and exclusive photo & video content, with the aim to create a rich and varied schedule of use to all operators and enthusiasts of the fashion system," the Camera states. For emerging labels struggling financially, the Camera will provide funding for their digital content, as reported in a fashion publication.
This follows in the footsteps of London Fashion Week, where the British Fashion Council announced earlier in April that their men’s and women’s collections will be merging on one single, gender neutral platform, going digital only for the first time. It will run from June 12 to 14.
“The current pandemic is leading us all to reflect more poignantly on the society we live in and how we want to live our lives and build businesses when we get through this. The other side of this crisis, we hope will be about sustainability, creativity and product that you value, respect, cherish. By creating a cultural Fashion-Week platform, we are adapting digital innovation to best fit our needs today and something to build on as a global showcase for the future,” says BFC Chief Executive Caroline Rush.
Similarly, Paris Fashion Week’s menswear spring 2021 season will go digital only from July 9 to 13, as announced by the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, French fashion’s governing body. Unlike London and Milan’s scheduled weeks, Paris will focus solely on menswear brands and on video content. This includes a virtual showroom powered by Sphere.
The ongoing global pandemic has wreaked havoc over all scheduled fashion week events, which usually takes place in June and September, and has led many to question the relevance of physical fashion shows.
However, as of writing, it appears we may still expect one to happen in September for Milan. A representative from Camera states that “we have given freedom to each brand to decide and this is a sign of the times”, and Giorgia Armani has stepped forward to announce that his label and Emporio Armani will showcase the women's and men's spring 2021 at Milan Fashion Week.
