May and June are the months on the fashion calendar when designers turn their thoughts to traveling and holidays for inspiration. Resort and Cruise collections, sometimes even dubbed “Pre-Spring/Summer”, are sandwiched between winter and spring, and so called after customers who vacation during the colder winter months. The collections have become important for fashion, as these transitional pieces of clothing become sartorial saviours for the likes of London and New York when it’s not quite hot enough to ditch your winter warmers, and for businesses as many labels now rely on them for revenue. So let’s see what our favourite designers got up to this season…
Dior
Legendary Pierre Cardin (who sat front row at Dior’s Resort show) lent his famous bubble house, perched on the cliffs of the French Riviera, to the occasion. With shape being one of the essential ingredients in fashion, Raf Simons made sure Dior demanded all the attention this season, and sent guests home with an unforgettable memory. For this show – Le Palais Bulles -, Simons looked to the landscape and memory of the South of France, which was evident in the sculpted jackets with curving sleeves and pleated, peplum waists.
Chanel
Karl Lagerfeld dipped his toes into the cosmopolitan sea of South Korea for Chanel’s show. Voluminous shapes and bold colour combinations appeared on high fashion interpretations of hanboks, the South Korean equivalent of the kimono. Dongdaemun Design Plaza, an art exhibition and performance space in Seoul designed by Zaha Hadid, made for a perfectly curvy, cavernous backdrop. And Chanel’s ever-present tweed fabric made an appearance in the form of the words “Chanel,” “Camellia,” and “Cambon” woven throughout garments in Korean characters.
Louis Vuitton
On 7th May the Palm Springs, California, had over 800 rooms booked. Editors, bloggers, celebrities and clients flocked to the the Bob Hope estate for Nicolas Ghesquière’s latest show for the French fashion house. Fabric play was key with leather detailing streaming it’s way through the collection, exaggerated buckled collars, cropped bombers with lacing, and suede jackets with sequin insets, a testament to Ghesquière’s growing confidence as newly appointed Creative Director.
Fendi
Karl Lagerfeld, who has been the Roman house’s Creative Director for over 50 years, presents a feminine yet bold collection this season. The tropical flower, which becomes the signature motif, inspires the colour palette: touches of saffron, ochre, cactus green, orange and red. The brand’s iconic Selleria leather was also used for a chic belted shirt jacket paired with mini shorts.
Valentino
Diana Vreeland’s “The eye has to travel” played inspiration to Valentino creative directors Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli latest collection. Their unmistakeable aesthetic of simple, modest silhouettes made for a canvas of embroidery and beadwork. The result folksy, the elusive free-spirited girl of this Cruise collection bring those familiar bohemian references to an entirely new place, and the effect is magical.
Shop Resort Collections at The Luxury Closet
