with an idea legs
Resort 2025’s soundest—and
most stylish—investment? Look to pants and shorts.
BY NICK REMSEN
Atop a Le Corbusier–designed building in urbane Marseille, France, Virginie Viard unveiled what would be her final collection for Chanel: Resort 2025. The setting, while interesting, did not really have anything to do with the clothes. Viard’s proposal was more athletic in feel, less architectural in silhouette. Chanel-isms like tweed and offhand senses of chic were all apparent, yet the standouts of the collection were its trousers and shorts: namely knee-length Bermudas, which stood tall against the kind of mixed, juxtaposed messaging of the staging.
Every year it seems there’s less rhyme or reason as to how, when, and where fashion brands show their collections. Houses hop on and off the traditional catwalk calendars like passengers on morning métro rides, and some even take liberties with their seasons’ labels. (Is it Summer? Is it Pre-Fall?) But the show element just that: theatrical ephemera and, increasingly, media brouhaha—and ever-less-so a platform for buyers. What these productions really do, beyond lights, is tee up what consumers will soon be buying; even with a non-fixed runway schedule, fashion’s delivery cycle has remained consistent. And there’s no delivery that’s more of a rampart than Resort, which starts to arrive in November and can remain on hangers until April.
So what does Resort look like going into 2025? It’s a mixed bag, to be certain, but a clear standout is an uptick in looks and concepts anchored by chic trousers or Bermuda shorts à la Chanel. Dressier, frillier, floatier things seem forgettable right now; pants and shorts and their variants are consistent: steadfast staples from the steadiest season.
There were solid shorts on view at Valentino, which was Alessandro Michele’s debut for the house after his 20-year tenure at Gucci. To illustrate just how much horsepower Resort needs: Valentino’s lineup has 171 looks, which is about five times the average amount in a collection!
Jeans ran multiple stylistic gamuts. At Balenciaga, they were baggy and darkly acid-washed. They looked especially good when paired with an oversized polo shirt. At Roberto denim trousers were also baggy, yet scraped with a louder textile treatment: almost as if a had swiped at the raw material after it was clawing out its lining. At Versace, Donatella Versace channeled a late-1980’s–to-early–90’s spirit with skinnier, slouchier cuts. The designer said she was thinking of the heyday around Versus, the former Versace splinter line that was a little younger in verve (and a little easier on credit cards).
Resort, sometimes called Cruise (though this has died out a bit), arrives after Fall/Winter and before Spring/Summer. And it is a somewhat amorphous thing. Resort collections used to serve sunseekers and snowbirds jetting to warmer climes for the holidays and early winter months: light, bright, tropical, or desert clothes that you’ve seen on old postcards of pretty young things in Islamorada or Palm Springs.
But these days, Resort has to touch on a bit of everything—ski and alpine garb included—because the people who can afford these clothes are now more everything-everywhere-all-at-once. There has also been a broadening of fashion consumption; there’s a far wider and more diverse clientele than in decades past (in large part because of that social media brouhaha mentioned above; it’s not all
labels. it is social for the There has social bad!). Cavalli, and inlaid tiger sewn, by the never for hell out In a We
Also there were some outliers for the more adventurous but no less stylish. See: Bermudas paired with boots at Chloé by Chemena Kamali; oxblood leather square-cut trousers at Gucci Sabato De Sarno; and technical neo-cargo pants at Burberry by Daniel Lee. These garments and more seem to underline durability that’s needed in contemporary Resort merchandising: pants are repeatable, versatile, formal and casual in tandem, somewhat easy and really considered in bad taste. So, indeed, there is a bit of subconsciousness afoot here—looking longevity in the longest season, all of that. Yet pragmatically speaking, there is something particularly rewarding about buying, and wearing the of, a damn good pair of trousers or shorts. fashion world of shifting conventions and fleeting moments, pants and their ilk are the wardrobe equivalents of the long game. think there’s real value in playing it.
A look from Gucci’s Resort collection
Resort collections used to serve sunseekers and snowbirds jetting to warmer climes for the holidays: light, bright, tropical, or desert clothes that you’ve seen on old postcards of pretty young things in Islamorada or Palm Springs.
Chanel presented its Cruise 2024-25 collection atop Le Corbusier’s Unite d’Habitation building in Marseille, France.
BY KATE BERNARD
people
BY KATE BERNARD
partypeople
BY KATE BERNARD
MEET MS. FRANCHI
Elisabetta Franchi may be the most beloved name in Italian fashion you’ve never heard of. That’s about to change, as the brand marks its stateside debut with a flagship at Bal Harbour Shops.
BY MILES CONROY
Elisabetta Franchi has always had a certain instinct and intuition for what women want. Whether it’s sharp sartorial suits or glamorous cocktail and evening wear, her eponymous label’s pieces appeal to women who find in fashion the tools for self-expression.
These confident silhouettes take center stage at the brand’s new Bal Harbour Shops flagship— the very first to open stateside, and perhaps the brand’s greatest power play to date.
The store’s opening reflects the brand’s intention to scale its global presence.
“I am thrilled to open our first boutique here,” says the brand’s founder and designer. “Miami is a city that marks an exciting step in our journey, and Bal Harbour Shops is the ideal location,” adds Franchi.
Inside the 1,000-square-foot boutique—an airy interior accented by a cream palette, wood paneling and mirrored walls—the mood is one
of opulent minimalism. It’s also the first to carry the Spring/Summer 2025 collection in an exclusive early release before rolling it out globally.
A celebration of Elisabetta Franchi’s first decade of runway shows at Milan Fashion Week, “The Femme Paradox” collection explores the different facets of the brand’s ethos, and its founder’s vision to empower women through structured jackets, tailored trousers, and delicate lace, tulle, and corsetry details worked into ultra-feminine dresses. Also featured are its ready-to-wear pieces, shoes, and accessories rooted in Italian craftsmanship and creativity. As a lifestyle label, Elisabetta Franchi has attracted a loyal community of fashion-forward, independent, and elegant women around the world, including celebrities like Zendaya, Angelina Jolie, Emily Blunt, Kate Hudson, Kendall Jenner, and Bar Refaeli, among others.
Backstage at the Elisabetta Franchi Spring/Summer 2025 show in Milan
The Bal Harbour Shops flagship is the brand’s first US retail space.
PHOTO BY JEANNE CANTO (STORE), COURTESY OF
ELISABETTA FRANCHI
Boulevard leather clutch
courtyard chronicles
SHOP TALK, NEWS & HAPPENINGS AROUND THE KOI PONDS
SIREN’S CALL
We head out to sea on an Adriatic odyssey with EXPLORA JOURNEYS, taking along the best of Resort collections, and a few of the sexiest swim looks of the season.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALEX JOHN BECK
STYLING BY PAUL
FREDERICK
KARLA COLLETTO swimsuit, available at Neiman Marcus, 305.865.6161
All of the 461 suites, penthouses, and residences on Explora Journeys' Explora I have private balconies for a true yachting experience.
SAINT LAURENT BY ANTHONY VACCARELLO blazer and briefs, 305.868.4424
With a wraparound balcony, the view from the ship's Owner's Residence is unsurpassed.
KARLA COLLETTO swimsuit, available at Neiman Marcus, 305.865.6161; BRUNELLO CUCINELLI trousers, 305.864.4833; ISABEL MARANT necklace and bracelet, 305.763.8189
On the steps of the Monumento ai Caduti war memorial in Ancona, Italy, one of Explora I's unique ports of call.
The dramatic sunsets in Corfu are best enjoyed from your private balcony.
SILVIA TCHERASSI dress, 786.800.9978; GIANVITO ROSSI sandals, 305.865.8330; MORGENTHAL FREDERICS sunglasses, 305.866.2020
Walking the cobblestone pathways of Dubrovnik.
VILEBREQUIN swimsuit, 305.861.4022
Explora I's stateroom balconies are spacious and beautifully appointed.
RALPH LAUREN COLLECTION
embellished long-sleeve top, 305.602.8896; KARLA COLLETTO bikini bottoms, available at Neiman Marcus, 305.865.6161
The Astern pool and lounge is your beach club at sea.
CHANEL swimsuit,
Dubrovnik.
ELISABETTA FRANCHI dress, 786.408.7219
The ship's Explora Club has soaring windows for dramatic views while relaxing and contemplating your next shore excursion.
ZIMMERMANN bikini, 305.397.8231; OSCAR DE LA RENTA X MORGENTHAL FREDERICS sunglasses, 305.866.2020; ALEXIS BITTAR bracelets, available at Neiman Marcus, 305.865.6161
ROBERTO CAVALLI bodysuit and skirt, 305.763.8144; SANTONI sandals, 305.866.8774; ISABEL MARANT earrings, 305.763.8189
LANVIN dress, 239.374.8027; ALEXANDRE BIRMAN sandals, 203.278.6058
Returning to Explora I after a day in Dubrovnik.
PHOTOGRAPHER: Alex John Beck
STYLIST: Paul Frederick
MODEL: Mariina Keskitalo/ Women 360
HAIR AND MAKEUP: Lizzie Arneson
DIGITAL TECH: Alexander Hopkins
STYLIST'S ASSISTANT: Caitlin Cowger
PRODUCER: Cindi Blair Productions/ Turks & Caicos Productions
wrapit
THE REVELER
For the love of the party—and all the feather, crystal, and metallic embellishments.
UP!
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JENS MORTENSEN STYLING BY PAUL FREDERICK
LEFT BALMAIN Eden patent leather Chelsea boots,
BULGARI Serpenti Forever shoulder bag,
ROGER VIVIER Belle Vivier Mary Janes,
BOTTEGA VENETA Andiamo bag,
GIANVITO ROSSI Fitzy boots,
STELLA McCARTNEY Elsa Eco Alter Mat heels,
THE CHAMPION
For the fashionable hobbyist with a competitive edge.
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT
legacyproject
Chef Douglas Keane is an industry disruptor, upending the restaurant system with his Michelin-starred Cyrus in Sonoma County’s little-known town of Geyserville.
BY TALI JAFFE-MINOR
D
ouglas Keane is a highly decorated chef. His restaurant, Cyrus, is Michelin-starred. He has multiple four-star San Francisco Chronicle reviews. He has a James Beard Award for Best Chef Pacific and was a Top Chef Masters winner. In February, he’s releasing his memoir, “Culinary Leverage: A Journey Through the Heat,” a darkly humorous, brutally honest snapshot of his 30 years in the restaurant industry, and this past spring Keane and his restaurant were the subject of a Harvard Business School Case Study.
“Cyrus is arguably one of the world’s most innovative gourmet dining business models,” says UPS Foundation Professor Emeritus James L. Heskett, author of the HBS study and more than 200 others. “When you have a memorable business exercising unorthodox policies that produce outstanding results for clients, the team members, and the investors, I like to think of it as a trifecta of success.”
Keane originally opened Cyrus in 2004 in Healdsburg, a small town in Sonoma’s wine country. Following a lease dispute with the landlord that dragged on for several years, he closed shop in 2012 and set out to find a new home for his then–two-Michelin starred restaurant. That ultimately took a decade, but the hiatus allowed Keane the time and space to reconsider just about everything “normal” in the restaurant industry.
A 1993 graduate of Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration, Keane worked in some of New York (Four Seasons, Lespinasse) and San Francisco’s (Jardinière, Gary Danko) premier restaurants, witnessing
The dining room at Cyrus was designed to “float” above the vineyards; Pastry Chef Josh Gaulin’s Mont Blanc cake, made from chestnuts, candy cap mushrooms, and parsnips; Chef Douglas Keane plating Kushi oysters.
Miami Beach Convention Center
December 6 - 8, 2024
