Robert Burke, founder of luxury retail consultancy Robert Burke Associates, said the move towards fewer collections fits with a consumer shift away from disposable fashion.

"Buying things that you know you'll only have for a short time period or go out of fashion immediately doesn't seem attractive right now."

Slow fashion

The debate about fashion industry excesses pre-dates the crisis, but has been given a sense of urgency by the pandemic, which is pressuring brands to cut costs and shed inventory without losing too much money.

Kors said deliveries of its products would from now on be scheduled to arrive in store incrementally over the spring/summer and fall/winter seasons, more closely reflecting "how customers actually live and shop.

"It is imperative that we give the consumer time to absorb the fall deliveries, which will just be arriving in September, and not confuse them with an overabundance of additional ideas, new seasons, products, and images."

Armani, in an open letter to fashion trade publication WWD, said luxury labels should stop mimicking hectic fast fashion delivery schedules.

"It makes no sense for one of my jackets or suits to live in the shop for three weeks before becoming obsolete, replaced by new goods that are not too different," he wrote.

Alessandro Michele, who turned Gucci into a cash cow for French owner Kering, has also said he would cut the label's yearly shows to two from five.

And in its end-May earnings presentation, Ralph Lauren said it had rebalanced its assortments towards "core", less seasonal products, which have faster lead times and less mark down risk.

CFO Jane Nielsen said the summer collection would stay in stores through August "to maximise full-price selling."

The brand will also set aside some finished products for upcoming seasonal collections, even if that means keeping clothes in inventory longer than usual.