City Style and Living - Winter 2007/2008 - (Page 32)

While resort wear was initially fo- cused on the cruising consumer, the ease of the clothing, combined with its comfort, popularized resort wear into a lucrative business extension for many designers. In an industry where some designers feel conflicted by the demands of art versus running a profitable business, it seems that (especially among new designers), resort wear is proving to be a way to balance both creativity and a keen business sense. Wear Resort By Shivana Maharaj From the tiny bikini wor n by Brigitte Bardot in St. Tropez, these women made vacation dressing desirable to the oversized sunglasses and flat sandals wor n by Jackie O in Capri The real difference between Resort and Ready-to-Wear is the function of the clothing. Resort wear must be practical for packing, it must be carefree. In this season’s resort collection from Dolce and Gabbana, models looked ready to hop on board a private jet to Tanzania for a safari. Just looking at the clothes was like being in the Serengeti. In other words, the clothes have to embody the idea of a vacation or at least the dream of travel. tle black dress), swimsuits, broad brimmed hats and accessories galore. Though niche brands such as Tommy Bahama, and Lilly Pulitzer, and even some American sportswear designers (Michael Kors, Ralph Lauren) continue to offer these choices, resort wear on the runways has become more focused on current trends - a way to incorporate colour and comfortable fabric into an existing (sometimes dull) winter wardrobe. 32 | WINTER 2007/2008 | citystyleandliving.com COURTESY PETER SOM, BRIAN REYES In the 1950’s, with the rise of overseas travel, many starlets and icons began frequenting beach destinations. They became known simply for clothes they wore. From the tiny bikini worn by Brigitte Bardot in St. Tropez, to the oversized sunglasses and flat sandals worn by Jackie O in Capri, these women made vacation dressing desirable. Consequently, vacationers wanted fashionable clothing, suited for exotic locales. Initially, resort wear sole offerings were staples like the LBD (Lit- Currently designers show resort lines alongside Spring and Winter collections. For John Galliano, Valentino and Chanel, this means up to 5 full shows per year, an exhausting creative endeavour for any designer. However, designers’ foray into resort wear has contributed to stronger mainstay collections, as resort wear lines allow designers to toy with concepts and develop ideas that may not have been well understood or received by the public, and fashion media in prior seasons. After a stark departure from the collegiate warrior look of Fall 2007, Nicholas Ghesquière at Balenciaga chose to use bright coloured flower-prints, dresses, exaggerated shoulders finished with knee high gladiator sandals for Resort 2008. From the strong warrior that had graced the runways in the Fall, only her http://citystyleandliving.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of City Style and Living - Winter 2007/2008

City Style and Living - Winter 2007/2008 Contents Editor’s Note Website Behind the Cover Contributors The District Calgary’s Holiday Storefront Windows: Through the Looking Glass Need it Want it Fusion Culinary Adventure Champagne 101: Tiny Bubbles Covet Prêt-à-porter Fashion Adventure Resort Wear Enchanted Evening Passport 24 Hours in Paris Anatomy of... Costa Rica: In Search of the Resplendent Quetzal Final Thought

City Style and Living - Winter 2007/2008

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