Michael Kors has announced that he and his eponymous label will bid farewell to the fashion calendar.
The American designer said that he will not be showing at New York Fashion Week come September - although it is unlikely this event will go ahead given the COVID-19 social distancing restrictions in place.
The designer has plans to take a more streamlined approach to the release of his collections. Currently the plans are that his s/s 21 collection will show in either October or November. It's also likely that the designer will move his fall collection to March-April timing.
In a statement, Kors said: “I have for a long time thought that the fashion calendar needs to change.
“It’s exciting for me to see the open dialogue within the fashion community about the calendar—from Giorgio Armani to Dries Van Noten to Gucci to YSL to major retailers around the globe—about ways in which we can slow down the process and improve the way we work. We’ve all had time to reflect and analyse things, and I think many agree that it’s time for a new approach for a new era.”
View this post on Instagram
The designer will move to showing two collections a year for Michael Kors Collection. Interestingly, he's said that presentation and delivery of the collections will happen "incrementally". The idea is match the way consumers actually live and shop. We don't buy in bulk when it comes to fashion - well most of us at least. For most shoppers, we buy the odd piece here and there over the course of a season. And this is how Kors plans to release his collections moving forward.
His announcement comes after coronavirus caused a ripple effect through the retail and fashion industry. With social distancing causing closures of stores and also keeping people inside their homes, shoppers are seeing less and consuming less. It's been a shake up for many. Both Gucci and Saint Laurent announced earlier in 2020 that they would be departing from the traditional fashion calendar, choosing to release their new collections on their own terms. Other designers are choosing to release fewer collections, while some are changing their pricing models.
What will fashion look like on the other side of the coronavirus pandemic? Only time will tell.
Image: Michael Kors
