Versace joins fashion brands opting out of live runway shows

The Italian house revealed its men’s collection digitally via video, and not through an in-person runway show

The brand has chosen to stay in the sidelines due to coronavirus cases (Robert Mora/Getty Images)

Versace is the latest fashion brand to change its plans ahead of Men’s Fashion week, due to the resurgence of Covid cases.

Physical runway shows have still not fully returned, and fashion outlets are showcasing a lot of work digitally, with multiple brands, such as Giorgio Armani, abstaining from in-person events.

The constant uncertainty is likely to threaten the flux of women’s fashion shows which are due to start soon.

The Italian fashion house - owned by the American Capri Holdings group - revealed its men’s collection digitally via video, and not through an in-person runway show.

Versace also made the call to forgo a co-ed fashion show this year, which was a sudden change to its strategy, considering as of February 2020, the brand’s menswear and womenswear collections were being presented together on the runway.

Canadian born designers Dean and Dan Caten, owners of Dsquared2, have followed this same strategy, as they have also given up mixed gender shows this year.

Instead, they presented their menswear collection on the Milanese catwalks in January, while the women’s collection will be on show in February alongside Versace.

Before the start of the Women’s Fashion Weeks, designer Tom Ford was scheduled to close New York Fashion Week on 16 February, but had to cancel due the multiple number of coronavirus cases in the brand’s studio and factories.

The collection will not be ready on schedule, but instead presented digitally at a later date.

Thom Browne is one brand which has postponed their show completely until the health situation improves; it will instead host a grand Fall/Winter 22 -23 co-ed runway show in the New York City on 29 April, just a few days before the Met Gala.

However for fashion fans, spring will bring an abundance of runway shows, with Emilio Pucci unveiling their first capsule collection from its new creative director Camille Michele, in Capri, on 29 April.

Gucci will showcase its men’s and women’s collection in Milan in February as scheduled, and it will host another co-ed fashion show in a yet unknown European destination on 16 May, while Max Mara has scheduled its Cruise show for 28 June in Lisbon.