Dior in Mexico, Chanel in Los Angeles, Max Mara in Stockholm or Louis Vuitton in Isola Bella, a small island in Lake Maggiore, one of the largest in Italy. Luxury brands have been organizing large fashion shows around the world for decades to present cruise collections –also called “resort”-, a line originally designed to respond to the demands of a wealthy clientele who go on vacation in winter to paradisiacal destinations.
We are talking about pre-season collections, that is, they are outside the calendars imposed by the fashion weeks where the prêt-à-porter and haute couture lines are presented. And, unlike the latter, they are much more profitable for the firms.
“Cruise collections have great visibility and their release to the market plays a key role, during the Christmas holidays,” Dior representatives told AFP. The firms present their lines to the world during the month of May and part of June to market them later in the month of November.
Something that began as a strategic plan to supply the privileged has ended up becoming one of the most profitable collections for houses. In addition to being a moment of exchange between the country and the clients -since the parade guests live an immersive and cultural experience within the country- climate change has practically eliminated the halftime periods. Warmer autumns and early springs. Wearing a long dress or pleated shorts in October or November is not something so crazy. It is for this reason that they are collections that remain in the boutiques for a much longer period of time and end up attracting all types of clientele.
Dior is one of the luxury houses that takes advantage of this cultural immersion to work and publicize the country’s local artisans. For the Dior Cruise 2024 collection, Maria Grazia Chiuri traveled to Mexico to honor the iconic figure of Frida Kahlo and the powerful connection she continues to awaken in this magical place.
The Italian creative once again strengthened ties with local crafts, -specifically with the Colegio de San Ildefonso in Mexico City, the same one where Kahlo studied and where her romance with Diego Rivera was forged- through original embroideries or creations made in collaboration with their workshops. Dresses, tops and skirts, in the style of the artist, with lace, velvet, capes. Designs that dance between the feminine and the masculine, between the fluidity of gender and freedom that Frida will carry yesterday, today and tomorrow as her flag.
Los Angeles and Chanel. Hollywood and French elegance. The firm led by Virginie Viard landed in California to make its particular display of glamor that united the twenties and thirties to the rhythm of the seventies and eighties. “It is a tribute to the glamor of the great movie stars with reminiscences of that world of fun that is lived with aerobics or roller skating,” said the creative and right hand of Lagerfeld. Beaded mini-shorts and jumpsuits, embroidered bustiers and tank tops, seventies-inspired casual suits, bathrobes and pajamas. A burst of vitality and energy that recalled the eternal Californian summer nights.
The Nordic design, the large metropolises, as well as the progressive character of Stockholm captivated Max Mara and led him to present a cruise collection inspired by Midsommar, his particular celebration of the summer solstice. But the choice went far beyond this holiday. Queen Christina of Sweden is remembered in history books as a feminist icon before the term even existed and long before the wave of “women’s liberation” that swept through the 19th century. Max Mara takes her legacy and transforms it into sinuous tunics and folkloric blouses replete with pom-poms, tassels and studs that commemorate the gift of summer.
On the small Isola Bella located on Lake Maggiore, Nicolas Ghesquière displayed his magic on May 25 to present the Louis Vuitton 2024 cruise collection. The French designer’s proposal plunges high-end lovers into an amazing maritime world captained by luxuriously dressed aquatic creatures. Embedded in pants, voluminous skirts and camisoles, sequins appear like the scaly skin of divine creatures that rise from the depths for the occasion. Characters like jellyfish and merman come to life in this collection through glittery helmets, feathers and metallic masks. But also, and above all, with nylon as the main material. It is surprising to see the firm’s classic bags lined with this elastic and waterproof material. A masterful twist that could put Louis Vuitton’s most iconic designs at the forefront of luxury.
