In the first week of March 2020, in the midst of the the very early days of COVID-19, Paris Fashion Week was taking place with little precautions. I sat side by side other guests at some of the biggest shows (Miu Miu, Dior, etc.) without socially distancing and definitely without wearing masks. At these major shows with hundreds of people, one could count on one hand the amount of people actually wearing face masks at fashion shows.
Fast forward a week later, when I returned to New York City, and the entire world changed. Since then, every international trip, press event, and everything else under the sun has been cancelled — and rightfully so.
Over the summer, many fashion shows went digital, including Paris Couture Week and Helsinki Fashion Week. But others, such as Copenhagen Fashion Week, chose to go forward with in-person shows. Once New York Fashion week arrived in September 2020, it was clear that it would be difficult to host a safe in-person fashion week. New York State announced that all in-person fashion week shows with an audience must be held outdoors with a total capacity of 50 people (including staff), and it all must be socially distanced with everyone wearing a mask.
With those strict requirements, nearly everyone opted for a digital show, except for Jason Wu, Rebecca Minkoff and a few indie brands. I attended Rebecca Minkoff, and this is what it was like attending a fashion show in the middle of a pandemic:
The Rebecca Minkoff show was hosted inside of Spring Studios. Upon arrival, I was actually happy to see a slew of familiar street style photographer’s faces. It really made it feel like the spirit of fashion week was still thriving, in some way. Once I got inside, my temperature was taken and I was asked if I filled out a health survey, which I was sent beforehand by the venue. While I think this is a great idea in theory, the questions were quite simple and I don’t think that anyone that really wanted to go to the show would admit they were positive for COVID or admit they had symptoms if they were planning on going anyway. Plus, research has already shown that you can have a normal temperature and have COVID without any symptoms. Despite that, with mask-wearing, social distancing and limited capacity, I felt safe.
Once inside the venue, guests lined up as this was a two-hour presentation and each person was assigned within a 15-minute time slot. The workers actually made a huge effort to make sure everyone in line was socially distancing, which was really appreciated. At one point, a guard made everyone in the line back up so we were appropriately distanced.
The large freight elevator was limited to less than 10 people (with social distancing stickers to stand on). Rebecca Minkoff’s Fall 2020 show took place on the rooftop of Spring Studios, and it was formatted like a presentation. Groups of models stood around the rooftop which was covered in plants and little vignettes with plants, furniture and even a musical set-up with David Bowie and The Rolling Stones playing in the background.
Including the staff, photographers, models and guests, I think it was still within the legal guidelines and probably just under 50 people in the open-air space. As it was a relatively small space, it did feel crowded at times and it was not entirely possible to social distance. However, the staff made sure guests were only there for about 10 minutes before the next group came through.
One of the best things about the Rebecca Minkoff Fall 2020 show was the fact that models themselves were wearing masks. I know it may seem simple, but with all these majors brands from Chanel to Dior and more staging digital shows in a pandemic, it’s really shocking to see a lack of creativity and thoughtfulness concerning this. Most of us all have to wear masks right now and surely some of the world’s top brands should be able to do this in a beautiful, creative way. Minkoff’s approach for Fall 2020 was thoughtful, smart and relevant for the modern consumer. It made fashion week feel more appropriate since the collection was also see now, buy now (Fall 2020) rather than spring 2021, which most designers are showing this month.
“I always find myself going back to music as a jumping off point for my inspiration season after season,” Minkoff said of the show. “For my Fall 2020 collection, I wanted to capture the essence of the Rebecca Minkoff girl who is multifaceted in all aspects of her life.”
Of course, the brand is most well-known for bags, of which there were plenty of studded cross body bags, fringed bucket bags and other bohemian inspired styles that matched up with the general boho rock and roll setting and music, with tapestries and dark furniture everywhere.
Minkoff is a New York designer through and through, and the fall 2020 presentation felt respectful of that — given the current situation here. With most of the other designers in the city opting for a virtual show, she also showed that it is possible to reinvent the traditional show format as we know it and make it more modern. With the hazy city skyline serving as a backdrop, it felt like a true New York moment.
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