IN LE PALAIS BULLES, HALFWAY BETWEEN CANNES AND MONACO, the fashion crowd gathered for a delightfully unforgettable experience for Dior‘s Resort 2016 collection. Why ‘experience’ might one ask, since a fashion show is usually an ephemeral, yet elaborate 15-minute event where long-limbed models showcase the designer’s latest collection? It is a recent phenomenon for cruise shows to be staged beyond the fashion week dates, in far off locations, where guests are immersed entirely in the designer’s world. At Dior, Pierre Cardin’s picturesque and quirky bubble palace served as a backdrop for the fashion show, yet the entertainment did not cease there. The night before, there was a magical Mediterranean dinner by the sea, and the day afterwards guests were taken to lunch by speedboat, where a Dior ice-cream truck and a dozen blue parasols awaited.
The collection echoed its backdrop, for Raf Simons showed a girl who is playful enough to pair the iconic Bar pantsuit with flip-flops, and a printed A-line skirt with a seductively transparent white jacket. There were items one could easily imagine worn at the shores of a secluded beach in Belize, or amongst the metropolitan buzz of Buenos Aires; the multi-layered flounce dresses or the pleated skirts in exciting metallic prints, for example. Since cruise collections are designed to be wearable, Simons’ vision is one where the modern Lady Dior isn’t afraid to experiment and take risks in her impeccably crafted ensembles. She may arrive at the airport and, instead of the planned trip, take the next flight to Perú or Vietnam, spontaneously embarking on the adventure of a lifetime without thinking twice about it. —Victoria
Images: 1, 8, 18, 19, 20, 29 – Vogue, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 – style.com, 12, 15, 17 – Garypeppergirl Instagram, 13 – style.com, 14, 16 – Parisinfourmonths Instagram
