Istanbul Modest Fashion Week postponed due to the coronavirus

12 March 2020: The organisers of Modanisa Istanbul Modest Fashion Week (IMFW) have announced today that they are postponing the event until later this year. The decision was prompted following official advice on protecting the health of the public against the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). 

IMFW 2020 was scheduled to take place next month, from Thursday 2^nd to Sunday 5^th April. 

Held annually, it is the biggest event of its kind in the world for modest fashion designers, brands, influencers, buyers, and consumers. An estimated seven thousand people were expected to attend the fashion shows at the Zorlu Center, in the heart of the city, to see the latest modest trends ahead of Ramadan. 

The decision to postpone IMFW was taken after health officials in Turkey confirmed the first case of coronavirus in the country, and issued stricter guidelines and protocols to manage the outbreak. At the same time, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared a pandemic and urged for greater global action to counter the rapid rise in the number of people infected worldwide. 

A spokesperson for ready-to-wear fashion portal Modanisa.com, which sponsors and organises IMFW, said:

“Whilst we are very sad for everyone involved in Istanbul Modest Fashion Week, our guests’ safety and wellbeing are our number one priority. 

“The serious threat to life posed by the coronavirus, the international nature of IMFW, the advisory from the Turkish government urging people not go abroad, and other measures being implemented to contain the disease prompted us to take the decision to postpone the event until further notice.