Bridging the worlds of fantasy and reality with much-needed dose of escapism, the 2023/2024 Cruise collections explored narratives and symbolism from cinema, art and collective cultural experiences to remind us of fashion’s transportive allure. Featuring idols, icons and idyllic locations, collections by Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Dior and Gucci whisked us far, far away from our daily woes, exploring dazzling, mystical and sacred crossroads between the classical and the contemporary.
With its luscious manicured maze gardens and 17th century fountains and statues evoking a sumptuous aquatic-botanic paradise, it’s hard to believe that Isola Bella in northern Italy’s Lake Maggiore is actually a real place on earth. Well it is, and little wonder creative director Nicolas Ghesquière selected the sprawling gardens of Isola Bella’s Palazzo Borromeo for Louis Vuitton’s 2024 Cruise show, presenting an ‘aquatic fairytale’ according to his contemporary interpretation of femininity. Silhouettes followed piscean forms – both sci-fi and surreal – with feature frills, ruffles and flounces like fish fins from an underwater kingdom. Jackets featured exaggerated collars and necklines like oversized gills. Textures resembled all manner of marine scales, while trims and embellishments included gold feature buttons in the shape of boat anchors. Fabrics like neoprene, netting and translucent silks further expressed the designer’s ‘aquatic musings’. Ghesquière also unveiled the Maison’s new quilted GO-14 handbag in oceanic blue-green hues, and stitching resembling fishing nets.
Related article: Stray Kids’ Felix, Urassaya Sperbund, And Life Aquatic At Louis Vuitton Cruise 2024
Actor and show guest Jaden Smith reflected on the deeply immersive atmosphere of the show as a ‘modern fairytale’: “We’re in Italy, we’re on a lake, that’s on an island, and we’re in a palace. It’s beautiful, I was blown away.” Other guests, including house ambassador Alicia Vikander, agreed that experiencing the show and collection on Isola Bella felt like something from a film or an modern opera; regal underwater kingdom meets botanic splendour with the designer’s ever-invigorating twist.
Energised by Los Angeles’ scintillating vibrations as a ‘multifaceted creative playground’, Chanel’s 2023/24 Cruise collection was a head-turning homage to the city’s glamour, sex appeal and cinematic glory. Lights, billboards, beaches - the Maison’s creative director Virginie Viard drew on a number of iconic city codes to capture that infectious energy that defines the Californian lifestyle. Jumpsuits, mini shorts, tank tops and leg warmers were an unmistakable 80s nod, whisking us from the roller rink to the dance floor of The Roxy in a heartbeat. An excess of embellishments including rhinestones, sequins and other bejewelled accents oozed big-screen glamour and after-dark allure. The classic Chanel tweed suit was reimagined with ‘West Coast allure,’ its proportions cropped and cut, waistlines lifted, and metallic yarns giving it a hint of youthful exuberance. From sporty ensembles to dazzling evening gowns and kaftans in sunset hues inspired by Hollywood’s Golden Age, Viard explored the city’s iconic archetypes that continue to define its atmosphere and visual culture, interpreting them to the max with a playful and feminine touch.
Related article: Chanel Cruise 2023/24: G-Dragon, Margot Robbie, Elle Fanning, And A Match Made In Hollywood Heaven
“Virginie celebrated Hollywood through the decades tonight. It was kind of all over the map, with the little bows on the shoes and the little playful dresses, to the aerobic stuff. It was like an extravaganza, which is what Hollywood is known for,” said actress and house ambassador Chloë Sevigny. Everyone wants to be in Hollywood, don’t they?
The butterfly - a universal symbol of hope, creativity and life cycles, and the central symbol in Dior’s 2024 Cruise collection. Inspired by Frida Kahlo’s passion, heart and artistic influence on the feminine psyche, creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri ventured from Rome’s Capitoline Museums to the Archaeological Museum in Naples to Museo Frida Kahlo (Casa Azul) in Mexico City, exploring the symbolism of the butterfly in art - including Kahlo’s - throughout the ages. “The most incredible part of her story is that she overcame all limits through her art,” said Chiuri. Dior’s 2024 Cruise collection mused on the artist’s ‘emblematic style’ and the concept of multi-faceted identities. This was evoked through material and thematic explorations like the symbolic relevance of lace, whether mesh, floral, tulle or applique, across French and Mexican cultures; the use of black in ponchos; capes and floor-length skirts evoking feminine strength and elegance; and the allure of androgyny as seen in the appropriation of masculine tailoring via exaggerated silhouettes and shawl-collar tuxedos.
An evening of spring rain enhanced the sultry beauty of a courtyard in Mexico City’s Colegio de San Ildefonso where the show took place, emphasising a collection peppered with artful references to Mexico’s artisanal heritage. The butterfly graced the Maison’s signature toile de Jouy print, while its iconic Bar Jacket was reimagined in velvet with colourful woven banding. Framed as a ‘multicultural collaborative exchange through creativity,’ the collection showcased traditional embroidery and embellishment techniques reflecting Mexico’s heritage, achieved by artisans from Indigenous communities across the country including the Nahua community of the Sierra Norte de Pueblo, and the Tzotzil community of Chiapas. The show closed with a powerful performance that literally took a shot straight to the heart; a finale curated by multidisciplinary artist Elina Chauvet featuring a swathe of white toile gowns from Dior’s 1954 collection, embroidered in red thread with words and motifs denouncing femicide.
Related article: Aislinn Derbez, Alicia Keys And Sartorial Serenades At Dior Cruise 2024
Related article: IU, Alia Bhatt And Cosmopolitan Reinvention At Gucci Cruise 2024
Locals in Seoul probably never thought they’d see a million-dollar lighting rig electrify the ceremonial courtyard at Gyeongbokgung Palace for a fashion show. But after all, it’s Gucci. It was ceremonial grandeur and nothing less as the house presented its Resort 2024 collection paying homage to the electric energy, vitality and street culture of South Korea’s capital. The mixed-reference collection (the last for Gucci’s design team before new creative director Sabato De Sarno assumes the helm) had a little something of everything; streetwear, sportswear and even a few flowing silk evening gowns and dress coats for an unexpected whisper of femininity. A focus on tactile fabrics and high-impact shine was seen in metallic bomber jackets, long-line leather and padded coats, and even tailored evening jackets in flashes of emerald and rose-pink. Heritage house codes like the red and navy grosgrain stripe, GG logo and monogram print were explored in daring new proportions on dress panels, sleeve cuffs and shirt trims, and were among the few references to the house’s Italian cultural heritage in a collection that was otherwise future-focussed in celebrating Seoul from head to toe; the magnetic urban atmosphere, historical and contemporary cultures, and street style sensibility one of the house’s most important markets.