Gucci cancels Seoul show in light of Halloween weekend tragedy

Gucci is among the many brands, companies and organisations cancelling and postponing events in South Korea after a crowd surge over the weekend left 154 people dead.

On October 29, party-goers took to the streets of the country’s capital Seoul to celebrate their first Halloween weekend since the lifting of pandemic restrictions.

According to multiple reports, tens of thousands of people flooded the narrow alleys of the city’s Itaewon district causing a crowd surge that resulted in a series of casualties.

Following the incident, president Yoon Seok-youl declared a period of national mourning until November 5, with many events now cancelled or postponed to a later date.

Luxury fashion house Gucci, which was set to present its ‘Cosmogonie’ collection in the city’s Gyeongbokgung Palace on November 1, announced it would be cancelling the show.

On Instagram, the Kering-owned brand said in a post: “We send our deepest condolences to the families and friends of all those who have been affected by the tragedy in Itaewon, Seoul, South Korea.”

The collection was first unveiled at Italy's Castel del Monte in May, with the Seoul show to be the first in Korea directed by Alessandro Michele, Gucci’s creative director.

Around 500 international and local guests were expected to attend the event, including diplomatic figures and celebrities, The New York Times said.

Dior, who counts a number of Korean artists among its ambassadors, also took to social media to express its condolences.

In a post, the French fashion label said: “The house of Dior sends its deepest sympathy to all those affected by the Itaewon tragedy in Seoul, South Korea.”