In the heart of the Parisian summer, the city’s illustrious fashion scene has been swept up in a social maelstrom. A city famed for its penchant for style and grandeur has seen its vibrancy overshadowed by civic tumult following the tragic incident of police violence. As a result, several of the long-anticipated Spring/Summer 2024 fashion events, pivotal moments in the global fashion calendar, have been regrettably cancelled or postponed. Among them, the much-awaited Celine Homme Summer 2024 show and the Chloé celebration for Karl Lagerfeld’s creations have been abruptly erased from the week’s agenda, setting a somber tone in the city’s ordinarily extravagant style quarters.
The upcoming Celine men’s show for Spring/Summer 2024 has been called off due to the escalating unrest in Paris, triggered by the police shooting of a young individual, leading to nightly disturbances, vandalism, and violent incidents.
The fashion house, under the LVMH group, expressed regret over the cancellation in an email to attendees, citing the recent developments and the potential safety hazards for guests and staff as the reason. The Celine Homme Spring/Summer 2024 show was originally planned to take place at La Gaité Lyrique on July 2nd, at 8:30 p.m.
The post-show events, which were to follow at the same venue, have also been called off. Hedi Slimane, Celine’s creative and image director, had planned an array of live performances for the after-party. However, in a statement posted on his personal Instagram account, Slimane expressed his sentiment that holding a fashion show in the midst of national grief felt “inconsiderate and totally out of place“.
Despite the cancellation, other fashion events, including shows by Patou and Alaïa, and events by Belgian accessory brand Delvaux and Italian label Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini, are still set for Sunday. These events precede Paris Haute Couture Week, which is set to commence from Monday to Friday, with 32 houses revealing their Fall/Winter 2023 collections.
The current climate in Paris has already led to the cancellation of other fashion events. Chloé called off a Friday evening planned event to celebrate Karl Lagerfeld’s creations for the house, and Courrèges postponed its annual club night. Courrèges‘ creative director, Nicolas Di Felice, expressed his disappointment on Instagram, stating that the recent tragedy in France had led to the decision to postpone their event.
The unrest in Paris was sparked by the fatal shooting of a 17-year-old motorist, identified as Nahel M., by police on Tuesday. Nahel was stopped for a traffic offense and was fatally shot when he attempted to flee. The police initially claimed he tried to hit the officers with his car, but a video of the incident recorded by a bystander and shared on social media contradicted this account, leading to nationwide outrage and confrontations with the police.
Read more: Valentino’s Fall/Winter 2023 Haute Couture collection set to dazzle at Château de Chantilly
