Ralph Lauren Cancels April Fashion Show 'In Light of Ongoing Uncertainties' About Coronavirus

Ralph Lauren has canceled his upcoming fashion show due to the coronavirus.

On Tuesday, WWD reported that the iconic American designer — who opted out of New York Fashion Week but had plans to unveil his fall 2020 collection during a “special show” at an undisclosed New York City location in April — is prioritizing “health and safety,” as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the United States continues to climb.

“In light of the ongoing uncertainties related to the novel coronavirus around the world, we have decided to cancel our fall 2020 show as a precautionary measure and out of respect for our teams, partners and consumers. Our primary focus remains on their health and safety,” a Ralph Lauren spokesman said, according to WWD.

The designer is just one of several who have canceled or postponed major fashion shows amid the virus outbreak.

On Monday, Gucci canceled its cruise 2021 show scheduled for May 18 in San Francisco due to “the ongoing uncertainty prompted by the coronavirus outbreak, as a precautionary measure,” WWD reported.

“A decision on the new timing and location of the show will be announced at a later date, once the situation becomes clearer. At this time, our thoughts are with all of those affected around the world,” Gucci continued in the statement.

According to Reuters, six Chinese designers (Masha Ma, Shiatzy Chen, Uma Wang, Jarel Zhang, Calvin Luo and Maison Mai) cancelled Paris Fashion Week shows because of coronavirus, which first appeared in China in December 2019.

Italian fashion house Prada also called off a May show in Japan amid the health scare. And Chanel postponed an upcoming show in Beijing, China, stating that the decision was based on “the current situation and following the guidance of Chinese authorities,” the New York Post reported.

As of Wednesday, 129 cases of coronavirus and 9 deaths from coronavirus-related illnesses in the United States were confirmed. Worldwide, there are over 94,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus with most occurring in China, though new cases there have slowed.

The first cases of a mysterious respiratory illness — what is now known as COVID-2019, a form of coronavirus — began in Wuhan, China in late December. Since then, the virus has spread worldwide, leading the World Health Organization to declare a public health emergency, the first since the zika epidemic in 2016.