The fashion industry, like everyone else, wants to move forward. But it has no choice other than to do so digitally. The Milan men's fashion week, scheduled from 15 to 19 January, will be (once again) almost entirely digital and viewable on the platform of the Camera della moda. Paris, too, is forgoing in-person shows in favour of an entirely virtual edition, for both the men's collections and haute couture. The third withdrawal comes from Copenhagen, which for the autumn-winter 2021 season shows is abandoning the idea of a hybrid format in favour of a fully digital one.

The fashion world is suffering — never so deeply in crisis since the postwar period — finding itself among the top sectors on the painful list of industries hardest hit by the coronavirus. It has been almost a year since the pandemic froze production, purchasing, sales and exports. And in these months, new questions have inevitably arisen. Do fashion shows still make sense? After an initial, entirely understandable period of revenge spending — that voracious urge to spend after a lockdown experienced as imprisonment — will we still want to buy? Or might we instead focus on a more cautious rethink spending, based on different ways of living, thinking and therefore spending, perhaps more sustainable ones?

Virtual shows save enormous amounts of CO2

If it is perhaps still too early today to give a definitive answer to these questions, it is interesting to see how brands are moving in these difficult times. Opinion is divided among the major labels on the choice to hold in-person shows during the Milan fashion week: of 39 brands selected for the menswear section — ten of them making their debut — only Fendi, Etro and Kway have decided to keep their physical shows. The withdrawal just a few days ago of Dolce&Gabbana, which chose to forgo a live show, weighs heavily. The calendar for this edition of the Milan fashion week is fairly light on big names, with just a few exceptions, but it offers some rather interesting young brands the chance to quite literally be seen by everyone.

Here is one of the advantages of virtual shows: accessibility. Remove the constraint of a physical venue with a limited number of seats, and the wall of exclusivity comes down too. Potentially the entire world can watch a show, without having to leave home. With great environmental benefits, in terms of CO2 emissions. No travel, no movement, no lighting, no catering, no shipping: the pollution that an entire fashion week generates is avoided. The question therefore returns: do events such as trade fairs or fashion week shows still make sense? Or is it perhaps time to aim for a rebirth of the entire sector on different foundations and with different objectives, starting perhaps from that "careful and diligent slowdown" called for by Giorgio Armani at the beginning of the pandemic?

Copenhagen fashion week 2021

The coronavirus has also led Copenhagen fashion week, taking place from 2 to 4 February, to broadcast its shows via streaming. After the idea of continuing the hybrid format from the previous edition, the official announcement came from Cecille Thorsmark, chief executive of the Nordic event, who stated: "Due to the current circumstances, we have been forced to cancel all physical events, including trade fairs. It is undeniably the right thing to do, though we look forward to meeting in person again for the August 2021 fashion week."

The autumn-winter 2021 season shows, with a calendar featuring 33 brands, will therefore take place entirely online on the platform that made its debut last August, but which will be relaunched with a new look. There is one novelty: the launch of the Zalando sustainability award, which aims to shine a spotlight on "brands taking exceptional steps in their efforts towards green." The inaugural prize has selected three finalists: Finnish fashion house Marimekko, Danish designer Louise Lyngh Bjerregaard and Swedish label House of Dagmar. The winner, to be announced on the last day of the fashion week, will receive a prize of €20,000 and a partnership with Zalando for the development of an exclusive capsule collection. The collection will contribute to the global debate on sustainability, exploring innovative design solutions through materials, production processes, technological solutions and traceability.