Coronavirus: Australian Fashion Week cancelled

Australian Fashion Week has been cancelled hours after New York’s Met Gala was called off.

A model at Fashion Week Australia in The Rocks, Sydney, last year. Picture: Damian Shaw

Fashion Week Australia has been cancelled, joining a growing list of events axed in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

The announcement came just hours after New York’s Met Gala, also slated for May, was called off.

“We regret to share that the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia 2020 will not take place,” Natalie Xenita of US-based events company IMG said on Tuesday.

Sixty designers and brands were set to show on the five-day schedule, from emerging designers and graduates to established names including Ginger & Smart, Aje and Bec + Bridge.

Alexandra Smart of Ginger & Smart said while she and her sister Genevieve and their team were disappointed by the lost chance to showcase their ­resort collection, it was a time for reflection and for the fashion ­industry to display ­innovation.

“I think this moment, across many industries, will give people the chance to innovate and do things differently, because that has to happen,” Smart said.

Bridget Veals, the general manager womenswear for David Jones, said: “Technology will support us through this and people will ­become more innovative and communicative.”