Chanel postpones cruise collection show in Hong Kong

By

Dominique Muret

Translated by
Nicola Mira

Published
Sep 9, 2019

Since June, Hong Kong has been shaken by major pro-democracy demonstrations, which have not abated despite the announcement in early September that a controversial bill allowing extraditions to China would be dropped. The situation in Hong Kong is still very tense, and this has led Chanel to postpone the show it was planning to stage there on November 6.

“Considering the current situation, Chanel has decided to postpone to a later, more appropriate date the fashion event planned for early November 2019 in Hong Kong,” stated the luxury label in a brief press release. Last July, Chanel heralded its intention to present its cruise collection 2019-20, first unveiled in Paris on May 3, also in Hong Kong.
 
The latter is a key market for Chanel, which operates nine stores there, all doing regular business despite the demonstrations. The luxury label also indicated that “the 2019-20 cruise collection will be available at all Chanel boutiques in Hong Kong from November 6 2019, as planned,” even though the show has been postponed.

In the last three months, the former British colony has been experiencing its worst political crisis since the hand-over to China in 1997, disrupted almost daily by protesters denouncing the curtailment of freedom and Beijing’s growing interference.

The unrest has heavily affected commercial activities in Hong Kong. Retail sales fell by 11.4% compared to the same period a year ago, and the aggregate for the first seven months of the year is down by 3.8% in value.