Saint Laurent has recently announced that it would move its runway shows off the classic schedule – for the remainder of 2020. The menswear shows in Paris have already been canceled and, while theoretically Fashion Weeks should kick off again in September, the truth is that this is also not certain. Regardless of what will happen to Paris Fashion Week, Saint Laurent has decided to throw back from the schedule and not show during the event.
In a statement, the brand announced that “Saint Laurent will take ownership of its calendar and launch its collections following a plan conceived with an up-to-date perspective, driven by creativity.”
The French fashion brand, and subsidiary of luxury conglomerate Kering, has made this decision in light of the latest cancelations and reschedules. The brand noted that “Conscious of the current circumstance and its waves of radical change, Saint Laurent has decided to take control of its pace and reshape its schedule” and continued by stating that “Now more than ever, the brand will lead its own rhythm, legitimating the value of time and connecting with people globally by getting closer to them in their own space and lives.”
Saint Laurent’s shows were some of the most highly visible and sought-after presentations during PFW and have always exercised a great influence on the fashion world at large. It has been a while now that many small brands and designers were showcasing their collections whenever they wanted (or could) and focused on presenting “see now, buy now” collections, but Saint Laurent’s move may bring even more brands on this side of doing things. If some big brands will decide to follow the Parisian house, we may soon see a great crisis among Fashion Weeks.
Already, Marc Jacobs had announced that he will skip New York Fashion Week and Giorgio Armani also voiced his opinion recently claiming that it’s time to get off the strict fashion schedules.
It is very likely that the concept of Fashion Week will change, a lot of it will go digital and most likely we’re not going to see so many people attend a show as we have in recent years.
Maybe this way, the world of runways will return to its high exclusivity and this may also reflect in the garments, which will be more elegant and classic. Attire Club has discussed this in recent trend forecasts and has also proposed yearly “Style Portfolios”, which did not have a fixed date of release.
All in all, the next season of fashion most certainly going to be really different than what we’ve seen so far.
Fraquoh and Franchomme
P.S. We want to hear from you! What do you think of Saint Laurent’s decision? Do you think FW will still exist as such in the future? Which other brands may also go off-schedule? Share your feedback, questions or thoughts in the comments below! For more articles on style, fashion tips and cultural insights, you can subscribe to Attire Club via e-mail or follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram!