Emerging out of a consumer need for fashionable vacation clothing, resort/cruise pre-collections are truly a testament to the business of fashion. Having grown exponentially in exposure, distribution, as well as in practice among designers, some cruise presentations might even rival their seasonal counterparts in terms of critical reception. Despite the pre-season’s origins, we noticed a general move towards appealing to a broader audience than simply the European woman who vacations on the Mediterranean during the winter months. It almost goes without saying that this is not your mother’s resort. Continue reading for our favorites from the 2013 lookbooks and showings…

Calvin Klein Collection Remains Minimal
Rooted in mid-century modern architecture, Francisco Costa’s 2013 Resort offering for Calvin Klein Collection was certainly forward, in every sense of the word. The decidedly minimal gowns were cut to the ankle so as to allow the sheer silk to flutter as the models walked. And while they were practically cocooned in sheer fabric, still the models gave off a sort of novel sense of sex appeal, due in part to Costa’s use of suggestive cut outs.

With a stark minimalism to much of the clothing, the accessories were crucial to avoiding monotony. It appears as though the platform was anything but out of style as the models maneuvered down the runway in lizard, calf, and nubuck versions of Costa’s signature shoe. Low-slung belts reminiscent of seatbelts were not meant to create shape, rather, the matching accessories worked to anchor an otherwise delicate aesthetic.

Subtle Elegance from The Row
While not necessarily meant for a day at the beach, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen’s vision for Resort 2013 capitalizes on the season’s fall delivery with an abundance of outerwear. Elegant coats and sweaters were perfection in lavender and multi-ply cashmere, while fur-lined parkas and sporty trench-coats helped to round out the subtly luxurious collection.

The twin designers have always had a kind of aversion to the form-fitting silhouette, a predisposition which continued for cruise. In one lookbook image, an all but shapeless silk fuchsia evening gown experiences a momentary interruption of its simplicity as a cascading waterfall pleat runs the length of the dress. The southwestern poncho, meantime, stood as a slightly more overt homage to the twin designers’ signature silhouette – and, like more often than not when it comes to The Row, it worked.

Marc Jacobs Goes All Out
Often referred to in women’s studies, a clown series by feminist photographer Cindy Sherman also served as the initial inspiration for Marc Jacobs’ 2013 Resort collection. However, in many respects, the designer’s cruise offering was a sort of sartorial liberation with obscure silhouettes and prints being brought to the forefront.

Nothing was off limits this time around for Jacobs, as the designer paired bright plaid bloomer shorts with a metallic striped t-shirt, mixed and matched multiple loud prints, and finished each look with a chunky platform sandal embellished with rhinestones the size of jawbreakers.

While the pieces are certainly eye-catching all-together, the separates will make for a perfect punch of eccentricity when dressing. The polarized nature of the floral prints were especially appealing with Jacobs opting to feature the florals both hyper and hypo-magnifed, the former resembling abstract art, the latter reminiscent of the designers grunge roots while designing for Perry Ellis in the 90s.

- James Lavapie