From the shores of Seoul, to the backyard of the late Bob Hope’s Palm Springs home, designers are sure trying to garner attention for their Resort 2016 looks based on the place that they are presented. I guess it is how it sounds, though, because when deciding on where to vacation, its all about location, location, location.
These Resort 2016 collections seem to have been the jack of all trades, and the trades being inspirations for future fashion weeks to come. It’s my belief that the creative directors from Dior, Louis Vuitton, and Chanel weren’t dreaming of the beach and warm weather when designing these looks, rather, they were dreaming of innovation.
Raf Simons, when choosing the location for the show, chose Le Palais Bulles, located in the south of France on the cliffs between Monaco and Cannes. Simons said to Style.com that the location, from his eyes, was, “playful, sweet and childish almost.”
You can see the location inspiration translating into the collection. With a series of thinly striped plaids, circle and a-line skirts lined with fishnets, subtle knit accents (a hint maybe?), as well as glimmering sequined rompers, the collection did, sort of, exude childishness. Although, the Dior sophistication shined through when Simons presented silk, sleeveless dresses, (to my surprise) black structured pant suits, and their signature low-height heels. No surprise there.
The combination of youthfulness and dignity sure made this resort collection ingenious in more ways than one. Just like the desert sun, this collection surely radiated confidence, yet, I could not personally see one wearing these pieces at say, Coachella, or BottleRock. But fashionistas, will, and have, dared to cross the line, and why not cross it with Dior fishnets and shimmery sequins?
Nicolas Ghesquiere’s was handed the reigns of Louis Vuitton not even a year ago, and he is already doing some serious brand development with the latest collection. Let me explain. From the start of this Resort 2016 show, Ghesquiere’s already had a vision. That vision being Bob Hope and his $25 million Palm Springs home, the backdrop for the runway show.
“I love the idea of being sweet and hard at the same time,” Ghesquiere’s commented to Style.com, referring to the estate, which is currently for sale for the aforementioned amount.
What a way to sum up LV into such a little amount of words. Let’s take in for consideration the signature stiletto, fun and friendly on top, red and devious on the bottom. Ghesquiere’s sure has a hold on the mission of the brand, I will give him that. However, the collection, innovative for sure, shared similar creative styles as other top tier designers, such as Alexander Wang.
The collection was filled with prints, stripes, combinations of exquisite fabrics, contrasts of colors and styles, alongside a lot of layering. For example, pleather shorts paired with an equally pleather top, long, flowing skirts and pants with crop tops, off-the-shoulder cutouts, boxy suede jackets and silk blouses. Sound familiar? Unless black, boxy and flowy is totally in, and I’m just missing the cue, there may have been some creative overlap on the playing field.
All criticisms aside, the individual pieces truly did tell a story. That story being, Ghesquiere’s knows how to reel in a crowd and hold their attention.
I had a dream the other night where I thought, well believed, that I met Karl Lagerfeld, Chanel’s creative director. In this dream I was finally able to see him without his, almost permanent, sunglasses on. I was so ecstatic, I was going to tell everyone, then I woke up.
I’m thinking that this was a sign, a sign eluding me to Chanel’s Resort 2016 collection, which was shown off the coast of Seoul. I’m still figuring out the meaning behind the dream, but I know that this collection, is one for the books.
Lagerfeld continually puts out excellent products in the form of fashion, and of course, this particular collection was a great example. Themes from Paris Fashion Week can be seen here, but what’s not to love. The Korean inspiration for this collection offered Lagerfeld with a wider range of creative perspective, not needed, but sought after.
Chanel attracts celebrity attention as Korean culture attracts worldwide trends, so truly, the two go hand in hand. The pieces in this particular collection were extremely engaging. The colors were bubbly, the prints were pastel, the patent was well-placed, and the jumpers and drop-waisted skirts were a great addition to the already present trend.
The collection made me feel as if I was almost traveling through time, yet still remaining modern. I could see Peggy Olson, from AMC’s Mad Men, wearing the pastel purple signature Chanel coat with the patch-worked pencil skirt, well, only if she was willing, and able (to pay for it). I’m sure Jackie Kennedy, and Audrey Hepburn, would be in love with the drop-waisted collared and pleated dress, if it came with a Chanel bag, of course. Finally, I could see contemporary artist FKA Twigs in the high waisted cut-out black and white skirt, as well as the oxford-styled white layered blouse.
Lagerfeld truly knows how to woo an audience, but I guess there’s perks when Anna Wintour is on your speed dial.
Resort 2016 sure feels like a teaser for the September fashion weeks, but let’s take one from the books, take a chill pill (accompanied with a mimosa) and enjoy the fashion-frenzy free-time we have until then.
