Paris Fashion Week's haute couture shows to go digital amid COVID-19 concerns

Due to the growing coronavirus concerns, french fashion’s regulatory body has announced that this month’s Paris men’s and haute couture shows will be held on a digital platform. After the instructions by police, the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode told luxury houses that they will not be allowed to invite guests this season. According to AP reports, the federation in its statement said they are confirming that there will be no public gatherings. 

Virtual Fashion Week 

 "Houses can still organise ‘real’ runway shows with models broadcast live, provided that their events take place behind closed doors”, the statement added. Milan Fashion Week will also be conducted without any guests, journalists, or photographers. The decision was made after various attempts of the Italian fashion council to maintain a minimum level of live shows. 

Paris is not under a lockdown, however, there are strict restrictions in place to monitor the movement of people. The restrictions also include a 6 pm or 8 pm curfew. Also, failure to follow the restrictions can lead to a prison sentence for a period of six months. Even though the lockdown in France ended on December 15, public places like restaurants, bars, cinemas, theaters, and museums continue to remain shut. 

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COVID-19 variant in France 

Meanwhile, France recently detected at least two clusters of the mutated UK Covid variant in the country. French Health Minister Olivier Véran announced. France’s border with the UK would remain shut "until further notice" as authorities investigate into the risk clusters of the mutant coronavirus and speed up the mass vaccination programme, he added.

The government aims to vaccinate at least one million French people by the end of January, Véran told state broadcasters. Health experts sounded an alarm over the spread of the virus variant, which the scientists found more contagious than the original SARS-CoV-2 strain.  

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The UK variant cluster was detected across Hauts-de-Seine, near Paris, and in Ille-et-Vilaine in Brittany, according to French broadcaster Connexion. The health authorities initiated rigorous contact tracing as 19 cases of COVID-19 infections of the UK variant were confirmed in France.

French Prime Minister Jean Castex is also reported to have told BFM TV that the French government was ramping up the efforts to expand and fast-track vaccinations. He also warned of a worsening of the COVID-19 crisis in the coming weeks due to the surge in UK variant cases. 

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(Image Credits: AP)