How Coronavirus Is Impacting The Streetwear World
”Not Business as Usual.”
With the number of confirmed Coronavirus cases now reaching 437,000, deaths touching 20,000, many countries are in lockdown and as a result, many businesses are no longer trading as usual. Day-to-day life has been sent into chaos due to COVID-19, with people around the world losing their jobs and companies closing indefinitely.
One of the industries taking the hardest hits in the fashion world, with A.P.C, Burberry and Ralph Lauren all postponing upcoming shows and the highly lucrative “cruise” collections canceled. There have been warnings that many of our favorite smaller, independent brands may not survive, so here is an insight into the impact this is having on Streetwear brands, and how the fashion industry is responding.
The iconic vintage store chain Round Two announced it would be closing all of its locations for the foreseeable future and has since launched its first-ever online site, as original plans to reopen stores on March 27th began to seem increasingly more unlikely.
Awake NY appears to be operating as usual through their e-commerce service, but the NY-based brand posted on Instagram addressing their community, asking them to keep safe, focus on their families and use this time to help those most vulnerable around them, stating “Let’s continue to be mindful of our smallest actions, which over time and continuation, create a larger impact".
Tyler The Creators "GolfWang" posted a short n' sweet Instagram telling their followers the flagship store would be closed until further notice, but the website would remain open, accompanied by the caption; “YOU KNOW WHY”.
Similarly, Palace told followers 'WASH YOUR HANDS', and Supreme simply stated their stores were closed but would continue releasing the SS20 collection online, offering free shipping on orders over $150.
Patta, Noah and The Hundreds all closed their physical stores, and (for now) continue all trading online, whilst sharing heartfelt posts with their communities, asking them to continue to support independent businesses wherever they can. Noah’s ‘Not Business As Usual’ post warned that “large corporations have the financial resources to survive, but small, independent operations that are pushing for change may not”.
The most popular campaign to emerge from the aftermath of COVID-19 came from the sportswear giant Nike. Aside from being one of the first huge brands to close all their stores, Nike has asked customers to, “Play inside, play for the world”.
Huge brands such as Prada, H&M, LVMH, Pyer Moss and Moncler have offered support in response, through the production of protective wear, masks and cash injections.
We expect to see many more businesses contributing as the pandemic continues.
Next Up, Prada Has Started The Production Of Medical Overalls And Masks For Healthcare Professionals In Italy
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