Fashion Industry Clears Its Calendar, Looks to Other Changes

From Armani to Gucci, top fashion houses are slowing the rate at which they hold fashion shows and launch new lines of clothing.

The move comes as the coronavirus health crisis forces the fashion industry to re-think the way it operates.

High-end designers are reducing the number of collections they show at fashion weeks throughout the year in London, Paris, Milan, and New York City.

It has been more than two months since health officials around the world announced stay-at-home orders to limit the spread of the coronavirus. Since then, many stores have been closed, and fashion houses have suspended work at factories that manufacture their products. Bain & Company, a business advisory¹ service, estimates the $310 billion luxury goods industry will report a drop in sales this year of up to 35 percent.

Fashion houses are struggling with lots of unsold products. And the possibility of price cuts on high-end goods could damage their public image as well as harm profits.

Designer Michael Kors was the latest to call for a post-virus slowdown in the fashion calendar. His business pulled out of New York's fashion shows in September.

Kors said he would only make two collections a year – one for spring and summer, and one for autumn and winter. This means no longer producing "resort and pre-fall" collections. These collections offer holiday wear for foreign travel. They have added to the number of designers' creations that critics say do not meet people's needs, especially in a recession.

Robert Burke is founder² of Robert Burke Associates, a service that advises luxury sales businesses. He told the Reuters news agency the move towards fewer collections is linked to the public's move away from disposable fashion.

The debate about the nature of the fashion industry pre-dates the coronavirus. But it has been given a sense of urgency by the health crisis, which is pressuring companies to cut costs and sell products without losing too much money.

Kors said shipments of his products would from now on arrive in stores slowly over the spring/summer and autumn/winter seasons. This more closely represents "how customers actually live and shop," representatives of his company said.

Armani, in an open letter to fashion industry publication WWD, said luxury businesses should stop following fast fashion delivery calendars.

"It makes no sense for one of my jackets or suits to live in the shop for three weeks before becoming ... replaced by new goods that are not too different," he wrote.

Alessandro Michele, who made Gucci highly profitable for French owner Kering, has said he would cut the company's yearly shows from five to two.

And in its end-May earnings³ presentation, Ralph Lauren said it was working on less seasonal⁴ products, and more clothing that has all-around use. Lauren's chief financial officer Jane Nielsen said the summer collection would stay in stores through August.

Companies like Gucci and LVMH's Dior have used more frequent collections and costly⁵ events in untraditional places to appeal to wealthy buyers, especially in China.

With luxury spending hit by the crisis, some industry insiders say it no longer makes sense to have a huge advertising⁶ budget. A fashion show can cost well over $1 million.

The move towards showing and producing less also is evidence of a changing relationship between fashion companies and big department stores in the United States. The stores' owners long controlled the timing⁷ of product releases to keep their products looking fresh.

Ron Frasch, former president of Saks Fifth Avenue, said the health crisis has sped up the collapse⁸ of Neiman Marcus and other top U.S. stores. The old method of doing business is now increasingly being called into question, he noted⁹.

Yet some fashion designers are resisting the call for a lighter¹⁰ fashion calendar. Chanel, which in a show of strength increased prices in May, said it would still release six collections a year.

I'm Pete Musto.

Words in This Story

fashion – n. the business of creating and selling clothes in new styles

line(s) – n. a group of related products that are sold by one company

luxury goods – n. something that is expensive and not necessary

post- – pref. after or later than

calendar – n. a list or schedule of events or activities that occur at different times throughout the year

disposable – adj. made to be used once or only a few times

shop – v. to visit places where goods are sold in order to look at and buy things

delivery – n. the act of taking something to a person or place

frequent – adj. happening often

department store(s) – n. a large store that has separate areas in which different kinds of products are sold

1 advisory   

adj.劝告的，忠告的，顾问的，提供咨询

参考例句：

• I have worked in an advisory capacity with many hospitals.我曾在多家医院做过顾问工作。
• He was appointed to the advisory committee last month.他上个月获任命为顾问委员会委员。

2 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

3 earnings   

n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得

参考例句：

• That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
• Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。

4 seasonal   

adj.季节的，季节性的

参考例句：

• The town relies on the seasonal tourist industry for jobs.这个城镇依靠季节性旅游业提供就业机会。
• The hors d'oeuvre is seasonal vegetables.餐前小吃是应时蔬菜。

5 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

6 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

7 timing   

n.时间安排，时间选择

参考例句：

• The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
• The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。

8 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

9 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

10 lighter   

n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级

参考例句：

• The portrait was touched up so as to make it lighter.这张画经过润色，色调明朗了一些。
• The lighter works off the car battery.引燃器利用汽车蓄电池打火。