How Has COVID-19 Affected the Fashion Industry?

 Written By 簡芝伶 Edited By 宋子瑜 傅暄淇 吳冠瑩

(English Full Names, please!)

     In the face of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Paris Fashion Week went on as usual. This event is held biannually. The purpose of this event is for designers to present their latest projects. October 6th marked the last day of the event, and it was also the day Paris was put on maximum alert. Although safety measures were claimed to be taken during the show, some people still questioned if this gathering would intensify the second wave of coronavirus that struck Europe.

          On October 6th, the city of Paris was raised to maximum alert after a spike in the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases. All the bars in town were forced to shut down, and restaurants could only stay open if they complied with strict rules imposed by the French government. Despite this, the safety regulations still allowed up to 1,000 guests to attend a public event. However, the exact number of guests at Paris Fashion Week was not confirmed.

           A global pandemic certainly did not stop fashionistas from gathering at the biannual event. The press claimed that social distancing was practiced; the seats were evenly distributed in the venue, and attendees were spotted wearing face masks. Nonetheless, the general public still questioned the safety measures of the event. This might be due to the fact that models on the catwalk were not wearing face masks while there seemed to be more than 1,000 people at the venue.

     Aurélien Rousseau, the director of the Regional Health Authority, stated that nearly 3,500 people on average have tested positive every day in Paris. Apart from that, 36% of the beds in the ICU are currently housing patients infected with COVID-19. The severity of this outbreak has changed the lives of many people, especially fashion designers. As the second wave of coronavirus strikes Europe, how will the fashion industry overcome this difficulty?

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