Monte Carlo. Palm Springs. Capri. Los Angeles. Arles. Marrakech. Disparate destinations with a distinct draw. Beyond holidaymakers, fashion brands are increasingly flocking to far-flung destinations in every corner of the globe to showcase resort collections. From Chanel to YSL and Gucci to Pucci, the curious case of the pre-season catwalk show is taking off as huge spectacles, glamorous after-parties, and star-studded front rows dominate our social media feeds. 

The resort wear craze is set to blossom this year with the ballooning swimwear market expected to reach $22.1 billion in 2022, according to Euromonitor. The phenomenon’s humble beginnings started as most things do in luxury fashion: catering to the cosmopolitan lives of the uber-rich with a collection of light, bright summer clothes dropping in the winter for those who abandon chilly cities in favour of sunny milieus. It’s more plausible than you think. 

These shows are more exclusive with press offices ferrying a small cohort of valuable VIPs, press, and influencers, to vaunted locales and iconic locations like the Miho Museum, an I.M. Pei-designed architectural masterpiece in Kyoto, Japan (Louis Vuitton) to the Piazza del Duomo in Lecce, Italy (Dior), or one of Lagerfeld’s extravaganzas in the then recently reopened Havana, Cuba. 

However, as our tastes have developed toward the cleaner and more conscious, the resort show contradicts the generational desire to incorporate more sustainability into our lives. Jetting off to distant locales for a few days that revolve around an ephemeral experience — despite the immersive accoutrements that accompany the lynchpin fashion show — poses a stark contrast to the fashion industry’s newly adopted environmentally friendly proclivities. 

Gucci, the Italian juggernaut, switched tricks during the pandemic, vowing to show only twice a year in order to condense and concisely convey its vision. This past May, the brand reversed its decision, landing in Apulia for resort 2023. Undoubtedly, with resort and resort wear being such a boon for business, the display is another opportunity for the luxury mega-brand to woo its clientele and observant press with fashion and freebies. It comes as the category, often lower-priced than the brand’s mainlines, becomes a key driver in product lines.

Being a key driver and category within the fashion sphere does not detract, however, from the plethora of new brands carving out a more sustainable niche for themselves. One such designer is resort wear aficionado Adriana Degreas, the Brazilian designer with an aptitude for transportive threads like metallic bikini sets decorated with feathers, sumptuous silky scalloped robes in ochre, and sheer skirts with painterly brushstrokes that leave you yearning for dancing into the early hours of the morning on Ipanema. In terms of sustainability, the brand follows several practices to solidify their stance on the matter, including reducing the use of water and chemicals by favouring digital prints. 

There’s Christopher Esber, an Australian with a penchant for expertly tailored and effortlessly minimal dresses and separates with the casual sex appeal of relaxed menswear — think evening dresses inspired by tank tops with flesh-bearing torso cutouts.