ON IMPENDING CHANGES IN THE FASHION CALENDAR

tive industry, and revisit their 2020 models for next year’s collection. The ideal would be for our footwear manufacturers to make the 2021 model year, i.e., to revisit some of their 2020 models to reflect 2021 fashion trends.

Grieder, Tommy Hilfiger Global and PvH Europe

We are looking to increase product shelf life by selling Autumn collections into November and strategically rationalizing drops and styles. Our highest priority is ensuring our upcoming seasons are fully optimized, without compromising quality or options for consumers.

Catania, Giada S.p.a.

We are evaluating proposing part of the S/S20 collection again in S/S21, which would be a sustainable solution. At the same time, our company is already working on the new collection and creating capsules based on what will be the trends and, above all, our bestsellers.

Lerner, Michael Stars

We had an early transition group of acid-washed cotton voile [in S/S20] and we moved the entire group to Spring 21. We are currently selling lots of masks, tie-dye T-shirts and sweats, gauze and linen as wear-now products.

Pons-Quintana Palliser, Pons Quintana

Storing items can damage businesses’ financial health. Our obligation to our multibrand costumers for S/S21 is to continue the lines of the current season in at least a part of the collection, following patterns and introducing colors and shapes that can complement the styles they may have remaining from S/S20. We will also be introducing new trends, because the market cannot stop.

Bungardt, Lieblingsstück

Since we have been preparing for the ‘Ready to Wear’ idea for our end users for some time, our Summer does not start until April and lasts until September anyway. Of course, we also tried to react in time and stagger the summer deliveries, so that our trading partners do not suffocate from the pressure of goods. However, we do not think this summer’s sales should be cancelled entirely.

Henze, DuPont

If it’s possible for brands to sell their collections next season, that’s a strong sustainability move. Often the alternative is incineration or bringing garments to market at a lower value to the end consumer, which promotes a more disposable supply chain.

Roselli, La Martina

The postponement of S/S20 items until S/S21 is something we have heard spoken about on the market, but we don’t believe it is the right decision: it makes sense from the point of view of cost efficiency, but fashion should be innovative. The world has changed during this pandemic: offering the same styles wouldn’t reflect this.

Team DoubleDouble

Most of the designers we have spoken with have edited their collections to a more precise and lean offering. I think this is a smart way to proceed with caution. Anything that is suited for the home would be easiest to sell. Products catering to large gatherings – such as formal wear, suiting, etc. – would be worth holding back.

Morton and Leonard, Bitter Lemon

The majority of our stock is seasonless, so we will continue with our marketing strategy throughout the year. We think resortwear could be held back until S/S21 because of the travel restrictions imposed. Dresses along with leisurewear will continue to be a big seller as we come out of lockdown and the summer months approach.

Anlauf, Peek & Cloppenburg

The first experiences [of trading since reopening after the lockdown restrictions have been lifted] show that the footfall in the shopping streets and the desire to buy are lower. We expect customers to remain cautious for some time. In the case of recurring or timeless product groups in particular, we are currently reviewing articles for the entire size range from the current collections and planning to offer them in the coming year.

Poletto, Pitti

Many countries have already exited or are coming out of the most acute phase of the pandemic and, in their department stores and shops, the 2020 Summer collections are or will soon be available for purchase, even if a little later than usual. The new collections will certainly be smaller, but they will still be there.

Xu, TUBE Showroom

Since China started lockdown very early this year, which was the very beginning of the Spring season, cold weather clothing sales, such as knits, jackets, etc., slowed drastically for most stores. And from their feedback, most of them will keep these items from S/S20 collections until A/W20.

Lanowy, Alberto

I believe in supporting the retailer and definitely not discounting the merchandise. It’s all about the longevity of the product and we implemented a continuation of our bestselling management.

Product categories: masks are the new sneaker. And hybrid sport pants – we will focus on the ‘Alberto Hybrid Sport’ product range for sailing, golf, hiking, camping, climbing, and, of course, biking.

Jiang, Chop Suey Club

It makes no sense to discount clothes so heavily just because a new season is coming out, even in normal times. There’s absolutely no problem selling S/S20 in S/S21 as long as your cashflow permits.

I think S/S will always be easier to sell than A/W: single SKU pricing is way lower and there’s a higher general demand. Tees, eyewear, swimwear and home goods will always be good sales.

Bentivegna, FIT

The fashion calendar will shift due to the coronavirus, and I think that it’s a welcome shift. Slower fashion can help to reduce markdowns if we are able to successfully tighten collections and revert back to seasonal collections.

We should expect to see men’s and women’s fashion shows combined and a designer showcasing their entire collection at once instead of having two separate shows.

Vaccarello, Saint Laurent

There is no good reason to follow a calendar developed years ago when everything was completely different. I don’t want to rush a collection just because there is a deadline. Our decision not to be part of any predefined calendar this year stems from our desire to recognize the importance of our time.

We are not planning to change our men’s and women’s collection presentation strategy – they will be presented separately.