By: DENISA PALSHA
Traveling the world took on a metaphoric and literal meaning for Resort 2024 collections.
From LA to Seoul to Mexico City, Resort 2024 shows were an ode to voyage, diversity, and the richness of the world’s cultures. While Resort, or Cruise season, has always been about globetrotters indulging in high-glamour leisure in fabulous destinations, this time it was luxury brands’ turn to take their shows on the road with aplomb. Starting with the Hugo Boss Spring Summer 2023 show in Miami, Versace’s show in LA, who showed again in Cannes in May, Dior’s dash from Paris to Mumbai, followed by Mexico City the schedule was intense. Gucci made a grand appearance in Seoul, while Louis Vuitton showed up on the iconic Isola Bella. Carolina Herrera made an international debut in tropical Rio de Janeiro, Max Mara traveled to the Nordic city of Stockholm, Fendi to Tuscany, and Ferretti to Rimini. A few stood out from the rest.
The Chanel show landed on Planet Hollywood in the City of Angels in an homage to the cinematic city. Tweed suits, sequin adornments, and feminine silhouettes all made an appearance, staying true to the ideal of a Chanel woman. From the 60s businesswoman in her tweed suit to the 80’s fitness instructor in leg warmers and high-cut bodysuit and the 2014 party girl dancing the night away in a sequined minidress, the Resort 2024 show had an undeniable Hollywood glam appeal. Imagined by Virginie Vilard in sunset pastels and flamboyant hues, the collection went together with the fantasy of voyage and effortless allure.
It was only a matter of time before Maria Grazia Chiuri, known for her feminist mindset, designed a Frida Kahlo- inspired collection for Dior. After a cultural immersion experience in Mumbai where Chiuri showed up in March, the Italian designer again chose to collaborate with local artisans, this time for the Resort collection shown in Mexico City. Mexican embroidery and weaving melded into the clothing was a testament to Chiuri’s creativity, for whom Kahlo’s artistic expression through-personal style was a longtime inspiration. Suiting with Spanish flair in boxy silhouettes with high-waisted pleated trousers, vests, shirts, and ties was a nod to Kahlo’s gender roleplay, while the butterfly-shaped black leather corset worn over a white shirt and pleated skirt was a tribute to the corsets Kahlo used to wear.
This whimsical collection presented against the backdrop of the Colegio de San Ildefonso, where Kahlo spent formative years studying, will go down in history as Dior’s love letter to Mexico.
Gucci presented its Cruise 2024, the latest collection designed by the in-house team after Alessandro Michelle departure, at the 14th- century Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul. Influenced by South Korean street style and the multicultural expression from the streets of cities around the globe, the futuristic show made references to skate-wear and global surf communities. The collection merged the wetsuits of the Han River windsurfers with the skirt suits and silk blouses of the bourgeois, and the tropes of the skateboarding uniform with formal tailoring. Commemorating the 25th anniversary of the luxury brand’s first store in the South Korean capital, Gucci paid homage to the pop-culture hub, an a•rmation of the nation’s status as a fashion capital.
Louis Vuitton’s creative director Nicolas Ghesquière began his lineup with wetsuit-like pieces reimagined with eerie sea creature frills and scaly prints in the show presented at the iconic Isola Bella palace, owned by the dynastic Borromeo family since the 16th century. Aquatic nods were a fitting opening for the show, held on Italy’s lush island of Lago Maggiore. šne could imagine the models emerging from the sea straight onto the runway as the collection gave rise to contemporary tales populated by creatures that abandon aquatic dwellings for the discovery of terrestrial wonders. Showcasing a mastery of mixing proportions, full skirts covered in iridescent, scale-like sequined skirts, dramatic feathery, or elaborate headpieces and crowns, jewel-decorated tops, and flouncy silk gowns embodied the modern-day mermaid aesthetic, inspiring Ghesquiere’s dreamy interpretations for Cruise 2024 season.
Talk about Italian Riviera dreaming! Dolce & Gabbana brought the Portofino vacation-inspired capsule-collection show, designed for Mytheresa. com, to the iconic “La Piazetta”, in the heart of the Italian leisure capital. The collection reflected Portofino prints mixed with colorful stripes and florals on reimagined silk scarf ensembles, from caftans, flowing mini-to-maxi dresses to robes and wide-leg pants sets, on models promenading from the square to boats, floating towards imaginary destinations. Presented under the starlit sky to guests from all over the world, the collection viewing was uniquely accessible to Portofino visitors, to extend the experience of Dolce & Gabbana lifestyle for all. And the best perk yet? Unlike most of the Cruise shows offerings we have to wait for, the Portofino capsule traveled directly and exclusively from the runway to MyTheresa.com, so you can get the crowd-stopping piece for your summer gateway, still this season!
