What Luxury Retailers Are Thinking & How They’re Buying Amid the Return of Fashion Month

For buyers at major department stores and luxury retailers, September is typically a whirlwind month filled with parties, presentations and flights crisscrossing the globe to visit the major fashion capitals. Will 2021 mark a return to an action-packed front row and in-person buying? Executives told FN they certainly hope so. “I’m thrilled about the return of in-person shows,” said Roopal Patel, SVP and fashion director at Saks Fifth Avenue. “This period of virtual presentations and Zoom walkthroughs has really made me appreciate how lucky we are to be able to see the designers’ visions come to life in person.” When FN began reporting this feature, the global vaccine rollout was making progress, leading designers and fashion houses to confidently move forward with in-person shows and presentations. However, the rapidly spreading Delta variant has introduced a now-all-too-familiar sense of uncertainty for fashion month organizers — and guests. Most buyers told FN that Paris and Milan shows were planned stops on their itineraries, and many were attending the New York and London events as well. All of course contingent on the latest travel restrictions. Whatever shows they attend — whether in person or virtually — one thing is clear: The pandemic has permanently changed what stores are

Follow Footwear News on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.

from Footwear NewsFootwear News https://ift.tt/3C6Rsh7