Guest designers at New York and Paris fashion weeks are forced to show closer to home

Valentino, traditionally one of the leading names of Paris fashion week, has canceled its Paris show, choosing instead to show in its home country during Milan Fashion Week. Covid-19 has made traveling difficult for its Rome-based team and led the company to reconsider where to present its new season collection.

Valentino CEO Jacopo Venturini said in a statement: “We feel that it is more ethical to present the new show in Milan. We strongly believe that this project will help emphasize the importance of being part of a fashion system represented by both the National Chamber of Italian Fashion and the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode.

Victoria Beckham, who launched her now decade-old label in New York, has continued to present her ready-to-wear collections in the U.S., with the exception of her 10 year anniversary show last September. The brand presented again in London during the early days of the pandemic and will show again in London this month with a planned physical and digital presentation.

Paris fashion week has many guest designers, including British designer Stella McCartney, Belgian designer Christiaan Wijnants and Japanese brands Comme des Garcons and Yohji Yamamoto, to name but a few. The latter two are both headquartered in Tokyo, and current Japanese travel embargoes require any person returning from Europe to undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine at home, including being monitored by the government via a mobile app.

The French fashion federation (FHCM) has not yet revealed its definitive lineup of presentations, but other brands are likely to take a pause from traveling to show this season.