RESORT 2018

Clockwise from upper left hand corner: Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, and Christian Dior (All photos courtesy of Vogue.com)

Resort has always been a favorite season for retailers; after all, it’s the longest selling season – hitting the floor around November and selling at full price until May. Up until several years ago, designers thought of the season as just store-fillers, a chance to sell the basic pieces all women need in their wardrobe. Fast-forward to today, resort has exploded into an equally important season as spring/summer and fall/winter.

Resort 2018 season kicked off in early May and has wrapped up in early July. While many designers presented their collections intimately in their showrooms to press and buyers, some designers went all out and showed a full runway show in various locations around the world.

Christian Dior Show held in Santa Monica Mountains (Courtesy of Vogue.com)

Maria Grazia Chiuri’s collection for Christian Dior was inspired by Californian nature –she held a grand show against the backdrop of the Santa Monica Mountains. This collection is far from the Hollywood glamour one expects when you think of California, but rather Chiuri looked to Georgia O’Keeffe and the Southwest for inspiration. Other designers who also looked to O’Keeffe as a reference for their collections were Chiui’s former co-designer Pierpaolo Piccioli for Valentino, Tory Burch, Acne Studios, and Jonathan Simkhai.

Christian Dior (Courtesy of Vogue.com)

Valentino (Courtesy of Vogue.com)

Tory Burch (Courtesy of Tory Burch)

Nicolas Ghesquière collection for Louis Vuitton was a love letter to Japan and its culture; the show was set within the stunning Miho Museum in Kyoto. Ghesquière used with Japanese references as he featured illustrated sequined dresses and guaranteed-hit Kabuki-eyed bags imagined by Kansai Yamamoto. The collection was filled with prints, layers, and textures, as well as a rebellious, badass attitude. Other tough girl collections include Dundas and Miu Miu.

Louis Vuitton (Courtesy of Vogue.com)

Dundas (Courtesy of Vogue.com)

Miu Miu (Courtesy of Vogue.com)

Gucci’s Alessandro Michele has a love of history and the renaissance.  As the creative director for Gucci, Michele brought the brand back to its home in Florence for resort, showing at the Palatine Gallery of Palazzo Pitti. Michele injected his collection with heritage, irreverence, and plenty of kitschy charm. Plenty of designer followed suit with vintage inspired florals such as Rossie Assoulin, Etro, No.21 and Brock Collection

Gucci (Courtesy of Vogue.com)

Rosie Assoulin (Courtesy of Rosie Assoulin)

No. 21 (Courtesy of Vogue.com)

Karl Lagerfeld usually shows his Chanel Resort collections in exotic locals, but this season, he transformed Paris into Ancient Greece for his grand show. Lagerfeld showed an abundance of Grecian goddess dresses that were breathtaking. Lagerfeld wasn’t the only designer inspired by  Ancient Greece, Roberto Cavalli, Fausto Puglisi and J.Mendel all had beautiful Grecian invigorated frocks.

Chanel (Courtesy of Vogue.com)

Fausto Puglisi (Courtesy of Fausto Puglisi)

J. Mendel (Courtesy of J. Mendel)

Sure the shows were spectacular, but their were also plenty of trends for resort, here are some of the key looks to focus on:

Game Changer

Designers gave sporty clothes a glamorous spin. The look was especially noteworthy at Valentino, as Pierpaolo Piccioli showed track suits, dresses, and strappy sandals with athletic ankle socks. Other designers who got their game on: Prada, Mui Mui and Stella McCartney.

Valentino (Courtesy of Vogue.com)

Prada (Courtesy of Vogue.com)

Stella McCartney (Courtesy of Vogue.com)

Get Fruity

Citrus colors take center stage this season from zingy lime to tangy orange. Designers from both side of the Atlantic embraced the trend from Edun to MSGM.

MSGM (Courtesy of MSGM)

Edun (Courtesy of Edun)

Versus Versace (Courtesy of Vogue.com)

 Jean Therapy

Denim has long been a favorite among designers. But this season, toss away your skinnies; the new trend is wide leg denim.

Oscar de la Renta (Courtesy of Vogue.com)

Karen Walker (Courtesy of Karen Walker)

See by Chloe (Courtesy of See By Chloe)

Seeing Stripes

Thom Browne, Joseph Altuzarra and plenty of other designers gave the classic stripe a modern update using dynamic colors and unusual placements worthy of a double take.

Thom Browne (Courtesy of Vogue.com)

Altuzarra (Courtesy of Vogue.com)

Christopher Kane (Courtesy of Christopher Kane)