Shanghai Fashion Week postponed due to Covid-19

By

Dominique Muret

Published
Feb 2, 2021

The changes have not yet been officially announced, but this season's Shanghai Fashion Week, originally scheduled to take place from 25 March to 3 April, is reportedly being postponed and will most likely run from 6 to 13 April. It is a decision that the event's organisers have been pushed to make by the appearance of new cases of Covid-19 in Shanghai, particularly in the Chinese metropolis' Huangpu district, the central neighborhood which usually hosts the fashion week.

 
Local authorities, which classified the area as a "medium risk zone" last week, are keen to reassure the population. "For the moment, the epidemic is under control in the city. People will still be able to enjoy the Spring Festival next month," explains the Shanghai Municipal Government's website. But the fashion week's organisers have opted to take preemptive action and, according to various media outlets, have told participants that the event will be postponed by two weeks. 

Last year, with the city strongly affected by the pandemic, Shanghai's was the first fashion week to adopt a virtual format. The event was streamed exclusively on Tmall, the flagship platform of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba. In October, the fashion week's 18th edition was held in its traditional format, with physical shows and events being attended by the public.

Since the start of the year, China has announced more than 100 new cases of Covid-19. The coronavirus variant from the UK, which is considered to be more contagious, has been found in Beijing, among other locations.