The latest Cruise Collections are out and let us be clear, they did not disappoint. Known as the more commercial-friendly season, these wearable items may not hit the stores until mid-Fall, but their impact is undeniable and the designers who participated pulled out all the stops for their 2016 selections. Denoted as Resort, Cruise or just Pre-Spring, these outfits flow from work to weekend, no matter if you are landlocked or ocean bound. These pieces are essentials, versus other season’s statement garments, and well-worth a look.
Check out these seven designers in particular who caught our eye with their innovative takes on all things seventies, athletic and resort driven.
1. Calvin Klein Goes Braless
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This season, Francisco Costa of Calvin Klein played with the brand’s familiar black and white motif but added an extra pop of spice by featuring artist Alice Lancaster and her minimalist abstract breast shaped pattern. These stark lines highlighted throughout the collection made Calvin Klein’s Resort 2016 spare and crisp, but hinged on the natural movement of the lines to give a bit of dynamo and illusion to these fairly simple garments. The midi dress is back with a vengeance and a healthy athleticism was featured not only in the styling but also with the model’s slicked back hair and dewy complexions.
2. Gucci’s Decadent Shambles
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Though only his second ready-to-wear collection for Gucci, Alessandro Michele has comfortably taken over the fashion house’s reins and leaves little up to the imagination: each detail, every button, accent and scarf tie has purpose and verve. Both Michele’s collections were unapologetically rooted in retro, but his glamorous take on kitsch and Americana remained fresh from his detailed precision. The delicate cat eye frames and floral accents, ribbons and chiffon dresses, create a magical Alice in Wonderland landscape meets Grey Gardens-esque derelict decadence. With chevron, animal fur, floral and lamé, this was the Resort collection dreams are made of. Each piece had enough chaos to standalone but when layered together, Gucci’s collection was an inspired showstopper, literally shutting down West 22nd Street for the collection’s runway.
3. Basically Tibi
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Tibi’s founder and creative director, Amy Smilovic, knows a thing or two about approachable essentials. Tibi, as a brand, has always been about comfort and ease of style, heightened neutrals and pops of primary color. Resort 2016 is no exception. With aptly placed appliqués and eyelet lace cutouts, these luxurious fabrics and concentrated hues are what a dressed-down casuals aficionado dreams of. Ideal for any occasion, the black trousers with black crop top and peekaboo shoulder detail were the perfect period for Tibi’s Resort story.
4. Suburban Casual Cool by Misha Nonoo
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Misha Nonoo’s collection was casual cool: the kind of clothes your older brother’s girlfriend may have worn if the era called for wood-paneled basements and bell-bottoms. No surprise, the ’70s are still every bit as relevant with the Resort collections as with earlier seasons and Misha Nonoo’s take on flared pants, bell sleeves and mini dresses managed to feel current with the rich, burgundy-wine hues and denim accents—her first collection to utilize the fabric. Known for a contemporary polish to her pieces, this collection, while a slight departure, still had all the trappings of a versatile urban look, just a tad more easy-going than we are used to seeing from this designer. Either way, her dynamic fit and flare skirts and dress shapes are sure to be a hit with their movement and effortless cool. Isn’t that what the seventies were all about?
5. Preen’s Sailor Moon
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The main aesthetic behind Preen by Thorton Bregazzi typically relies upon the art of the clash: clashing styles, patterns and feel. Needless to say, this season was no different. Created by two designers, Justin Thorton and Thea Bregazzi, their signature play on feminine/masculine style utilized a nautical influence—Breton sailor stripes as far as the eye could see—dashed across floral accents and adorable shift dresses. Even the khaki trench and billowy coverups, with their subtle nod to Mexican Serapes, touched on the season’s playful conflict. Delicate lace paired with heavy stark lines retained a Victorian elegance amongst some of the harsher seams. Not quite preppy, not quite tom-boy, Preen’s Resort 2016 brought the sailor in from the sea, left only to traipse through rose gardens and softer desert vistas.
6. Altuzarra’s Pre-Spring Chevron Obsession
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Let it be known, chevron is back. Altuzarra utilized the pattern in most of their garments but the monochromatic mango-mustard tank dress was by far the highlight, along with the leather chevron pocket accents on the black and white nearly tweed trench. With his signature feminine designs, Joseph Altuzarra instills a seductive power throughout his flirtatious designs. A touch tongue in cheek, the feathered pump heels, when paired with business power suits and midi-length dresses, ditched the sex kitten vibe and were all about strength and command. The handcrafted bags are another example of Altuzarra’s prowess when it comes to ready-to-wear and we can only imagine how quickly these items will fly off the shelves when his Pre-Spring 2016 hits. No matter, if mango-mustard is the new hue, sign us up. We’re ready!
7. Consistent Edge from Alexander Wang
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Alexander Wang is a force to be reckon with and his signature all black, studded accents and street meets tech meets bondage basement style is familiar yet still manages to remain relevant to today’s shoppers and fashionistas. He keeps his palette muted but somehow the little black dress, two-piece skirt and sweater sweats, along with an oversized track suit, all have a comfort to their styling. The chunky flatforms are Wang’s answer to grunge girls ‘90s slides and we can’t help but lust over the mid-shin flared denim crops. By throwing a flouncy oversized tee on top of a few of his more “dressed up” pieces, Wang remains true to his well-defined vision and brand’s mission statement: tough-girl styling for the urban dresser.