JW Anderson Cancels Live Runway Event, Will Show Digitally in Milan
LONDON — JW Anderson is joining a lineup of brands forced to change plans due to the spread of Omicron variant, and will now be showing digitally during Milan Men’s Fashion Week later this month.
The company told WWD that due to the “logistical difficulties and challenging travel situation caused by the current coronavirus developments,” the fall 2022 men’s collection will be presented as a digital show.
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The show will be premiered on the Camera della Moda channels on Jan. 16 at 8 p.m. CET. “JW Anderson remains committed to Milan, and will return in June with a physical show to present their men’s spring 2023 collection,” the company said.
Milan Men’s Fashion Week is scheduled to run from Jan. 14 to 18.
JW Anderson had in November announced plans to present its men’s collection, and its women’s pre-fall collection, in Milan as part of the official schedule organized by Italy’s Camera della Moda.
At the time, designer Jonathan Anderson said that over the past few seasons, he’d enjoyed exploring new ways to present the JW Anderson collections.
“Like our shows in a box and our most recent calendar with Juergen Teller, I wanted to do a physical show again, but try something different: so we’ll be showing in Milan, a city I love and find inspiration often.”
With this show, the brand was also set to launch a new itinerant presentation model with the goal of connecting with different audiences.
JW Anderson is the latest brand to cancel a live show during Milan Men’s.
As reported last week, Giorgio Armani canceled both the Emporio Armani and Giorgio Armani men’s fall 2022 shows, which had been slated to take place in Milan on Jan. 15 and 17, respectively.
“This decision was made with great regret and following careful reflection in light of the worsening epidemiological situation,” according to a statement from the Milan-based fashion house.
There are no plans for a digital version of the shows.
Armani has also opted to cancel his Privé haute couture spring 2022 show planned for later this month in Paris. Haute couture week is slated to run from Jan. 24 to 27 in the French capital.
Florence’s Pitti Uomo showcase has also seen its share of high-profile cancellations.
Last week, Ann Demeulemeester postponed a much-anticipated Pitti event until June.
The brand had been named special guest at the upcoming edition of Pitti, and was supposed to host an event at the former railway plant Stazione Leopolda on Jan. 12.
The event was meant to be a celebration of the Belgian brand’s 40-year history with support from its new owner, the Italian retailer Claudio Antonioli, who bought the Antwerp-based company in 2020.
The Demeulemeester news landed one day after Brunello Cucinelli decided to bow out of Pitti Uomo, opting to showcase its fall collection on the trade show’s digital platform Pitti Connect.
Brunello Cucinelli will also hold individual appointments at the brand’s showrooms in Milan, New York and Shanghai, and plans to set up medical stations that will test clients and collaborators on-site.
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