As coronavirus continually affects the fashion industry worldwide, the live events sector of Vogue International is closing the channel.
Suzy Menkes is a veteran fashion journalist and Vogue International editor. However this October, she will be stepping down from her position. Her work appears in 21 international Vogue editions and has been translated into 15 languages.
“I have enjoyed every moment of my time as Editor, Vogue International, and I am proud of everything I have achieved at the company,” Menkes said in an email to BoF. “The current global situation has given me – and all of us – pause for reflection. And so it is time for a new adventure, which I look forward to with excitement.”
Curious if this is the end of the line for fashion in Menkes’ life journal? Not just yet, as she pointed out that she will continue to “write, post, record and bring together the industry” on her own website and her over 500k followers Instagram.
Following Menkes’ exiting, the annual Condé Nast Luxury Conference, which she spearheaded when she joined the company in 2014, has been cancelled. She brought some of the industry’s most important names to its stage, including Karl Lagerfeld, Maria Grazia Chiuri, Olivier Rousteing and Naomi Campbell. (Menkes previously played a similar role at the New York Times, which has also disbanded its luxury conference.)
Asking about the reason for her exiting the fashion giant company, the publisher posted in a statement on the Condé Nast International’s website about the cancellation of the event due to Menkes’ exiting, and also about the growing uncertainty of future conferences. These live events, which generate revenue through ticket sales and sponsorships, have, for the most part, been frozen because of the pandemic.
Menkes plans to review the upcoming September shows, physical or digital, before leaving Vogue. However, the future of the medium is still uncertain. Though many brands plan to show in Paris in September, it’s not clear what form these shows will take. Some brands have begun showing collections online or skipping fashion week entirely.