Cruise Collection: the kick-off to summer

The first cruise collections appeared in the 1920s, originally designed for a wealthy clientele seeking elegant wardrobe options for winter escapes to sunny destinations. After falling out of favour with the democratisation of holidays, they made a strong resurgence in the 2000s and have since become inseparable from the idea of summer travel. Today, cruise collections are unmissable fashion moments, giving rise each season to spectacular runway shows and standing as a significant economic and strategic asset for major luxury houses.

What is a cruise collection?

A cruise collection is neither a simple summer wardrobe nor a fashion line reserved for passengers of luxury yachts. Known in English as Resort Collection, it is far more than holiday clothing. Positioned between the autumn-winter and spring-summer ready-to-wear shows, it is an intermediate collection that allows fashion houses to maintain media presence while meeting the expectations of an affluent clientele.

Historically, these collections were designed for wealthy women escaping winter to the sun-drenched beaches of the Caribbean or the Riviera. American clients in particular sought a wardrobe that was light, elegant, sophisticated — always chic. Cruise collections grew alongside the rise of luxury sportswear, pioneered by Jean Patou in the 1920s.

Today, these collections have expanded well beyond holiday wear. They now target a broader audience seeking versatile, comfortable and timeless pieces. They have become a privileged creative territory for major maisons, which stage spectacular shows in dreamlike destinations — from Capri to Dubai, from Miami to the temples of Kyoto — each collection becoming an invitation to travel, at the crossroads between fashion and lifestyle.

Cruise runway shows: an invitation to travel

Each year, luxury maisons push the boundaries of imagination to transform their cruise runway shows into extraordinary, immersive experiences. More than simple fashion presentations, these shows are true invitations to travel, where luxury and escapism meet in exceptional locations.

Closely tied to the outdoors and to the idea of escape, cruise collections evoke sunshine, dolce vita and the sense of freedom felt in idyllic settings. To capture this spirit, brands compete in creativity by staging their fashion travel shows in breathtaking, always-outdoor settings: on private beaches in the Maldives, in the souks of Marrakech, beneath the ancient temples of Athens or in the courtyard of a Venetian palace.

Each cruise collection is an immersion into a unique aesthetic and cultural universe, where fashion becomes a passport to inspiring, far-off worlds.

Beyond the decor, cruise collections play a key strategic role for luxury houses. They allow brands to sustain visibility between the major Fashion Weeks and address a global clientele in constant motion. Luxury is no longer confined to the hushed interiors of Parisian boutiques — it travels, adapts to new lifestyles, and must continuously surprise.

The evolution of cruise collections

Cruise collections have become a true pillar of the fashion calendar, their role and influence evolving to the point of reshaping luxury brand strategy.

1920–1930: Foundational DNA

When Coco Chanel and Jean Patou imagined the first cruise collections, the ambition was clear: to create comfortable pieces for wealthy clients traveling abroad — fluid cuts, lightweight fabrics, discreet luxury. The foundations of today’s collections were already present.

The 2000s: Karl Lagerfeld and Chanel

In the 2000s, cruise shows underwent a spectacular transformation. No longer just about selling clothes, they became storytelling tools designed to spark dreams and assert a contemporary vision of luxury. Chanel, under Karl Lagerfeld, pioneered the genre with itinerant shows in Havana, Saint-Tropez, Versailles… each destination becoming the theatrical backdrop for a fusion of fashion and local culture.

Recent years: Vuitton, Dior, Gucci, Saint Laurent

Fashion travel shows have intensified and diversified. Dior, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Saint Laurent and Prada now compete in staging spectacular shows in destinations of rare beauty: Indian temples, deserts, New York rooftops, futuristic landscapes. Every year, the mystery surrounding the next location fuels excitement among media and influencers. Chanel’s 2025–2026 cruise collection was unveiled at the legendary Villa d’Este on Lake Como, Louis Vuitton chose Park Güell in Barcelona, and Gucci presented its 2026 collection inside its Florentine palazzo.

Today, cruise collections are not just an intermediate moment in the calendar — they are powerful communication and business levers. They allow brands to stay aligned with international clients and respond to new expectations: timeless, elegant, effortlessly luxurious pieces. In response to environmental concerns, several maisons are also adopting more sustainable materials and responsible approaches.

Economic and strategic importance

Behind the dream and escape they embody, cruise collections also address major business imperatives. For luxury maisons, they represent an essential additional revenue stream, extending product life cycles and generating new consumption opportunities. Less seasonal and more flexible than traditional collections, they appeal to a global clientele that travels, buys year-round, and seeks pieces adaptable to multiple contexts.

Strategically, cruise collections have become powerful marketing tools. By multiplying spectacular shows around the world, brands reaffirm their international presence, nurture desirability and strengthen loyalty among demanding clients. Each cruise show attracts the attention of media, influencers and buyers, in a staging that transcends fashion to embrace art, culture and lifestyle.

In today’s hyper-competitive market, the cruise collection illustrates a maison’s ability to innovate, inspire and maintain strategic leadership — proving that luxury, to remain timeless, must constantly reinvent itself.

Train for a career in fashion & cruise collections with Sup de Luxe

To support future professionals in decoding these trends and turning them into true growth drivers, Sup de Luxe offers the Master of Science Fashion & Luxury Business. This unique programme prepares students to master the strategies of major maisons, develop an international vision and embrace the new codes of a constantly evolving market. A real passport to a career in luxury and fashion management, it combines academic excellence with professional immersion to shape the leaders of tomorrow.

Ever more spectacular and eagerly anticipated, cruise collections have become some of the fashion world's most iconic events. These evolving super-productions reflect the transformations of the luxury industry — balancing tradition and innovation, storytelling and pragmatism, timeless elegance and modernity.