September marks the return of arguably fashion’s biggest event: Fashion Week. While preparations are well underway, many are still unsure if they will be attending. Currently, models are still set to walk the runway throughout the four fashion empires of New York City, London, Milan and Paris. However, many changes will obviously be made as the memorable show strives to keep buyers, journalists and spectators safe amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

New York kicks off the event on Sept. 13, 2020 lasting until Sept. 16, 2020. Unfortunately, many mainstream companies will be missing from this year’s show, including Marc Jacobs, while other headliners such as Michael Kors, Ralph Lauren and Tory Burch have postponed their shows until a later date. However, it is not all bad news. The four day Fashion Week has offered smaller businesses a chance to get involved due to the absence of larger corporations dropping out. According to Steven Kolb, chief executive of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), 95 percent of designers at New York’s Fashion Week plan to display their collections online. Because of this popular decision, the CFDA has released Runway360, a digital site that will allow anyone interested in the event access to essential live-streams, pre-recorded videos, lookbooks and collection notes.

London’s Fashion Week, lasting from Sept. 17, 2020 to Sept. 22, 2020, is approaching the event in a similar manner. Out of the 80 total designers, 50 will be holding digital shows only, 10 are planning to show only in-person (mostly private appointments or salon-style shows) and the other 20 designers intend to have a mix of both.

Paris’s show stopping week of fashion is from Sept. 28, 2020 to Oct. 6, 2020. Like the other cities, Paris is counting on having a mix of live-streamed and in-person events for their 88 designers. Gabriela Hearst, Koché and Ami are aiming to physically seat guests, as well as Louis Vuitton who is planning to host two shows for 400 spectators. Companies such as Hermès, Chanel and Dior will reveal their collections online. However, some brands like Saint Laurent, Celine and Alexander McQueen do not appear to be on the schedule at all for fashion’s biggest week, leaving devoted followers of the designers wondering what they will decide.

Sept. 22, 2020 to Sept. 28, 2020 will be Milan’s Fashion Week, where about 60 percent of designers intend to host online versions of the show. One brand utilizing this option is Prada. The company is set to have a live-stream on Sept. 24, 2020 on Prada.com where they will show their collection. They are also offering private appointments and local screenings in a few cities. The other 40 percent of participating brands plan to host physical catwalks for smaller audiences. Some designers partaking are Dolce & Gabbana, Versace and Ferragamo.

“We believe a physical moment is very important,” said Carlo Capasa, president of the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana. “It is important not only for the brands but also for the number of people Fashion Week employs, from make-up artists to event producers.”

Although plans regarding the 2020 Fashion Week are not set in stone, measures are being taken to ensure the safety of staff, buyers and anyone else who attends the unforgettable shows. Both the in-person and the digital events of this year’s Fashion Week will still leave a lasting impact on fashion-lovers around the world.