Cruise collections — also known as resort collections — have become a crucial part of the fashion calendar, offering a bridge between the main Fall/Winter and Spring/Summer seasonal shows. Despite (at times) having the reputation of being marketed toward Europe’s jet-set-ready elite, this year’s Cruise collections saw Gucci showcase in London, Dior take over Scotland’s Drummond Castle and Chanel at Marseille in May (before heading to Hong Kong on 5 November 2024).

Despite going well beyond European shores, the Mediterranean inspiration for wanderlust and style was still apparent throughout the season. As we head into New York Fashion Week’s Spring/Summer ’25 collections, LUXUO explores the significance of the recent Cruise ’25 collections and how they remain influenced by Mediterranean culture despite presentations and runways around the world.

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The Intrinsic Nature of Cruise Collections

When one thinks of the regular Fall/Winter or Spring/Summer collections, it is the fantasy-driven, other-worldly pieces that come to mind. Haute Couture displays only further highlight the creative dynamism of a Maison. For Couture’s Fall 2024 collections, Chanel embraced their House codes’ timelessness and enduring strength, Daniel Roseberry’s Schiaparelli and Demna’s Balenciaga significantly focused on architectural and sculptural details to convey a deeper message. However, it is a completely different ballgame when it comes to Cruise and Resort collections. Where Pre-Fall collections tend to feature the classics, the Cruise collections sit at the intersection of both Pre-Fall and seasonal collections. The design’s wearability adds to their marketability and desirability amongst consumers.

Similar to that of Pre-Fall collections, Cruise collections also leverage brand classics and distill House codes into a versatile and fresh interpretation for a broader audience range. The use of swimwear, lighter fabrics, vibrant colours, relaxed silhouettes and accessories such as sunglasses and bags see these collections embody the romanticism of travel while maintaining timeless, ready-to-wear appeal.

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Geographically-Themed Runways

Interestingly, of the major fashion houses to showcase during the recent cruise collections,
Louis Vuitton was one of the few to present in the Mediterranean with an architectural utopia in Barcelona’s Park Güell — a public garden listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The setting tapped into Spanish culture which carried through to the collection which saw Catalan-inspired colours and flamboyance with a juxtaposition of sharp tailoring with soft textures and punctuated with Spanish accents. Ready-to-wear staples, bags, and accessories were embellished with embroidery, fringes, and ruffles — etching new travel-inspired signatures and cultivating a multifaceted allure.

There was also something to be said for Sabato De Sarno’s Gucci Cruise show. Set in the capital city’s Tate Modern, the collection leveraged on house classics including Horsebit ballerina shoes and creepers, artistic embroidery, and a new iteration of the Gucci Blondie bag plus flowing dresses and denim. Florals — another Gucci signature — was also apparent with the presence of delicate daisies, flower embroideries executed in 3-D in laser-cut organza, assembled by hand, or in the form of hand-moulded shaped sequins. Horsebit details across suede pay tribute to the House’s link with the equestrian world while emblems of Gucci were “re-energised” with British symbols of tartan and tailoring.

As LUXUO reported last year, Hong Kong’s spending power is not to be neglected and Chanel was strategic in choosing Asia as a veritable gateway in November after making an initial stop in Marseille in May. This transition from the Mediterranean to Asia was not only culturally significant but a strategic business move as an August 2023 report titled “World Market for Luxury Goods” by Euromonitor, a London-based market researcher, revealed that Hong Kong has regained its spot as the market with the highest per capita expenditure on luxury goods. The transition between Marseille and Hong Kong highlights just how universal Cruise collections can be in various international markets both in and out of the Mediterranean.

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Leveraging the Romanticism of the Mediterranian

The fashion industry has long leveraged on the romanticism of travel with an emphasis on the Mediterranean instilling the notion that “the grass is always greener”. “Why experience a downpour in Scotland when you can lay by the sand in Spain?” This season is a stark departure, seeing the resort come to you. So how does one encapsulate the “Mediterranean” aesthetic? While the notion of “Resortwear” calls to mind the sun-soaked beaches of Marbella or Athens, it is also about a lifestyle that goes beyond wide-brimmed straw hats and textures that evoke Mediterranean landscapes. Cruise collections never really leave the Mediterranian because, despite showcases in London, Hong Kong, Scotland or Barcelona, they each carry an underlying narrative of travel and escapism that transcend geographical boundaries.

Of course, each Maison takes on a different approach by “bringing the resort to you”. Dior goes back to their roots by invoking the history of Monsieur Dior, who presented his Spring/Summer 1955 collection in Perthshire, Scotland. Using Scottish symbols of the unicorn and thistle. Photographs from the presentation were then transformed into prints or employed as appliques on the edges of kilts or pea coats, in a kind of cinematic montage.

Mediterranean Mania

Beyond the recent Cruise collections, Dolce & Gabbana’s “Dolce&Gabbana Casa” alongside Christian Dior’s Baby Dior Autumn 2024 collection and Fendi’s takeover of La Plaza, at Puente Romano Beach Resort each paid homage to Mediterranean landscapes. The merging of a Maison’s heritage and codes alongside the dreamy interlude of freedom and idyllic sights highlights the fashion industry’s use of the Mediterranean as a touchpoint of creative inspiration with the marketing intention of “if you can’t go to the Mediterranean, we will bring the Mediterranean to you”.

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