CHAMPAGNE ON ICE: The cocktail celebrating the 20 semifinalists for the LVMH Prize for Young Designers is the latest event to fall victim to the coronavirus scare.
Organizers of the gathering, to be held at the luxury conglomerate’s headquarters on Avenue Montaigne in Paris, said they have decided to cancel the event, originally scheduled for Feb. 27 at 6 p.m., though participants will still show their collections throughout the day on Thursday and Friday.
In a brief statement, LVMH gave no reason for the cancellation, although it comes on the same day that France recorded its first death from the coronavirus. Six Chinese brands have scrapped their planned events in the French capital because of the outbreak, and scores of editors from China and elsewhere are skipping the season.
Gigi Hadid recently joined the committee of experts for the seventh edition of the LVMH award and is the designated ambassador for the showroom, where the semifinalists show their creations to the panel made up of 68 industry figures. What shape her endorsement will now take could not immediately be learned.
The crowded annual event is usually an opportunity for emerging talents to rub shoulders with top LVMH executives, including chairman and chief executive officer Bernard Arnault and his daughter Delphine, in addition to designers and celebrities.
“Dear experts, your participation remains crucial and we will be thrilled to welcome you to this semifinal,” LVMH said.