FILM SETS AND PHOTO SHOOTS
Still, he said he was optimistic revenues would pick up again in the longer run, as brands try to reach shoppers virtually.
His company is producing a fashion film, rather than a traditional show with an audience, inside the 19th century Hotel Le Marois for Polish label La Metamorphose.
The palatial venue has also been reinventing itself, upgrading its systems to lure companies wanting to livestream events from its ornate rooms, site manager Valerie Taieb said.
But even small parties are getting complicated as coronavirus cases in France rise and restrictions on gatherings tighten.
"The fashion sector and the events industry have really been forgotten in this crisis," Taieb said. Her team of around 20 have only returned to work part-time, and are still relying on the state's partial unemployment aid.
At the shoot for La Metamorphose at Hotel Le Marois, 25-year-old model Tiffany Fournier said some of her work had dried up too, although she still does magazine and advertising campaigns.
"I haven't done a catwalk show since February," Fournier said.
Some big brands have pushed to hold physical events where possible in part to support suppliers and other businesses. Designers also want to keep up connections with professional buyers and media.
"There's an energy and an excitement, there's music, the first model to appear on the catwalk, applause at the end," said Alexandre Mattiussi, creator of French brand AMI. "That doesn't exist in a digital format."
AMI is planning to hold a show on Oct. 3, with fewer than 150 guests rather than the usual 600 to 700.
"It will be like a very nice wedding," Mattiussi said. ($1 = 0.8598 euros)
