Looking back, it’s alarming to think we weren’t more alarmed. It was the afternoon of the 23rd of February and members of the fashion pack, in Milan for the A/W’20 shows, had retreated to Trattoria Torre di Pisa in the Brera district of the city. In the previous few days, cases of Covid-19 had been recorded in remote areas of northern Italy, but the city was still ‘open’ and brands continued to show. Italy wouldn’t go into formal lockdown for another fortnight.
Early that morning, Giorgio Armani had announced that he would be cancelling his live show, but other heavyweights, such as Hugo Boss and Dolce & Gabbana, persisted. The mood on the streets, and in the restaurant, was a little confused, but not panicked. At one quiet corner table, Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons dined with colleagues, likely discussing their next moves having just a few hours before