Gucci has canceled its Cruise 2021 show in San Francisco over fears about the the coronavirus outbreak, as the number of confirmed cases in the US continues to grow.
The high-end fashion brand released a statement on Tuesday explaining its decision to call off the May 18 event, blaming ‘ongoing uncertainty prompted by the coronavirus outbreak’.
Describing the move as a ‘precautionary measure’, a brand spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter: ‘A decision on the new timing and location of the show will be announced at a later date once the situation becomes clearer. At this time, our thoughts are with all of those affected around the world.’
‘Precautionary measure’: Gucci has canceled its Cruise 2021 fashion show, which was due to take place in San Francisco on May 18, over coronavirus fears
Italy: Gucci’s announcement comes just weeks after its Milan Fashion Week show, which took place as the first cases were confirmed in Italy
Spreading: There are more than 100 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the US, and nine people have died from the illness, all of whom were based in Washington
San Francisco is thus far one of the worst-hit areas in the US, with more than 25 confirmed cases in the Bay Area, according to The San Francisco Chronicle. As of Tuesday afternoon there are more than 100 confirmed cases in the US; nine have died from the virus.
Gucci’s announcement comes just weeks after it hosted its February 19 Fall/Winter 2020 show at Milan Fashion Week, just as the first cases of the virus were reported in Lombardy, the Italian region in which Milan is located.
Although fears over the virus began to grow throughout fashion week, the show still drew a host of celebrity attendees, including the likes of Dakota Johnson, Yara Shahidi, and Amandla Stenberg.
However, days later, Giorgio Armani canceled his Milan Fashion Week event, choosing instead to livestream his collection from an empty theater so as to avoid any risk of infection among guests.
‘The show will be shown behind closed doors, due to recent developments of coronavirus in Italy, live-streamed in front of an empty Teatro [theater] on the Armani website, therefore please do not attend the show this afternoon,’ the brand said in a statement at the time.
‘The decision was taken to safeguard the well-being of all his invited guests by not having them attend crowded spaces.’
It’s off: Giorgio Armani canceled its Milan Fashion Week show, which was due to be held on February 24, because of the growing number of coronavirus cases in the area
Safety first: A number of celebrities traveling to Europe during Fashion Month shared images of themselves wearing face masks, including Bella Hadid
Precautions: Gwyneth Paltrow (left) and Kate Hudson (right) also shared images of themselves wearing the protective gear on social media
Michael Kors also canceled a Milan launch event for its 007 capsule collection, which was also due to be held on Sunday, February 23, explaining that it was forced to call off the event because of a government ordinance, according to The Cut.
During Fashion Month, many models and celebrities shared images of themselves wearing face masks on planes on social media – sparking some controversy, with critics insisting that the stars should instead be using their influence to urge others to wash their hands.
Since then, the number of confirmed cases in Italy has soared, with more than 1,600 known sufferers in the country so far.
Gucci and Giorgio Armani are not the only brands to have canceled events in light of the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, with Prada canceling its Resort 2021 show, which was due to be held in Japan on May 21.
‘This decision was made as a precautionary measure as well as an act of responsibility and respect for all the people working on and planning to attend our resort 2021 show,’ a spokesperson for the brand said.
‘Prada extends its sincere sympathies and concern to all the people and territories affected by this situation.’