THE CRUISE REPORT

From palazzos and palaces to hallowed movie lots and art institutes, the biggest destination shows of the season reminded the world of the dream-making powers of fashion.

- Jeffrey Yan

CHANEL IN LOS ANGELES

The City of Light and the City of Angels came together in perfect harmony as Virginie Viard staged her first Chanel Cruise show in Los Angeles. On a skating rink set up on a lot in the iconic Paramount Studios, she lightened up her vision of the Chanel woman and took her in a fun, new direction.

The first looks said it all: cropped halter and tank tops, hot pants, spangled one-piece swimsuits—all worn with scrunched-up, Chanel-branded legwarmers and big, blown-out hair. The vibe was joyful, tinged with ’80s nostalgia. It was not so much red carpet and silver screen than it was rollerblading on Venice Beach and Jane Fonda workout videos. From there, Viard danced through the decades.

The suits had a ’60s sensibility—cropped and boxy, while dresses were imbued with a ’30s kind of glamour. In her lifetime, Coco Chanel worked with the Hollywood studios and created the costumes for a handful of movies, including Gloria Swanson’s wardrobe as an opera diva in the 1931 film, Tonight Or Never. There was a bit of that era’s languor in the looks—some served straight up and some remixed for our modern times via embellished t-shirt dresses or tank tops worn with slim, feathered skirts.

GUCCI IN SEOUL

Under the clear spring skies of May, Gucci took its Cruise 2024 show into South Korea’s iconic 14th-century Gyeongbokgung Palace—a first for the label.