Covid-19: Giorgio Armani cancels upcoming show in Milan, Paris – News

Armani is the first major Italian fashion label to cancel its upcoming show this year due to rising infections

AFP file photo

Italian fashion house Giorgio Armani said on Tuesday that it would cancel shows next January in Milan and Paris due to rising Covid cases in Europe.

“This decision was made with great regret and follows careful reflection in light of the deteriorating epidemiological situation,” said the Milan-based group led by 87-year-old Giorgio Armani.

Armani is the first major Italian fashion label to cancel its upcoming show this year due to a new wave of infections, such as the one at the start of the pandemic in February 2020, which hit Italy hard.

In May last year, Giorgio Armani announced the resumption of fashion shows with live audiences. It follows a year in which the fashion industry has relied on “virtual” shows — online presentations of catwalk shows without an audience, or short films publishing new collections.

The fashion house said that the men’s Emporio Armani and Giorgio Armani shows for Autumn/Winter 2022/23 during this month’s Milan Fashion Week will not be resumed.

Also canceled was the women’s Giorgio Armani Prive show during Paris’ Haute Couture week from January 24 to 27.

Contacted by AFP, the group said it had no plans for now to replace the show with a digital presentation.

Men’s Fashion Week in Milan, scheduled from January 14 to 18, was originally planned for 23 physical shows and the participation of 47 brands, including Ermenegildo Zegna, Fendi, Dolce & Gabbana and Prada.

Italy, like other countries around the world, has seen a sharp increase in cases driven by the new Omicrom variant. As of Monday, more than 68,000 new cases and 140 new Covid-related deaths were reported.