“Buyers need to be able to see the quality, fit, and fabrications of the garments in real life, by trying them on or seeing them on a model,” says the designer behind the brand abacaxi Sheena Sood. Shood was in Paris to show her latest collection during market week. “The trade shows were emptier than usual,” she says. While her brand and most of the other designers showing were able to keep their scheduled appointments, Sood says that it was difficult to make new contacts. “Typically designers show at Paris market to meet new contacts every season, but many of the international buyers canceled their trips. It also appears as though even some buyers who did attend New York and Paris markets aren't placing orders this season because of how badly coronavirus has already affected the traffic at their stores (particularly in Asia).” According to Kaelyn Davis, the VP of luxury hat brand Eric Javits , overall traffic at Premiere Classe, a popular trade show for accessories in Paris, was down by over 75 percent. “We especially saw a decline in the brand’s Asian clientele as a result of coronavirus.”