When fashion goes on holiday

Fashion loves summer, and who can blame her? It is the one time of year when relaxation and complete abandonment to leisure are justified, amidst the heady numbness of seasonal warmth and the tantalising dampening of the otherwise endless work deadlines. Summer holidays are, to all intents and purposes, a privilege reserved for the few, and as such luxury has once again decided to celebrated its exclusivity. Signature beach resorts, tropically designed pop-up stores and photographs capturing breathtaking natural landscapes; it feels as though all the brands have come together to launch temporary constructions by the sea side, launching projects along the coasts of Europe in all of the major destinations usually coveted by the wealthiest tourists.

In addition to arousing a marked spirit of escapism in bathers and customers who will be able to relax between Gucci or Valentino sun loungers this summer, all these new projects highlight a trend on the part of brands to travel around the most popular tourist destinations that is becoming increasingly pronounced in recent times. While in winter it is the streets of the fashion capitals that are most swarming with people eager to spend, in summer it is the small alleyways of the mountains and the sea side. And if today we are witnessing this invasive blossoming of pop-up stores in every corner of the world, the merit is their temporary and low-effort quality: the cost of rents is increasing everywhere - starting from Milan - and it is therefore much more convenient for a brand to occupy a space for a short period in a location that, although expensive, manages to attract a large clientele. Temporary shops are then a lucrative opportunity both for luxury brands, investing in notoriously populated spaces such as Mykonos for Louis Vuitton and the French Riviera for Jacquemus, and for emerging brands, as they can also prefer more financially accessible locations, thus making the shopping experience an equal playing field.

Gucci's chosen destination was Ramatuelle, on the Côte d'Azur, on whose beach it has set up a bathing establishment equipped with yellow logoed umbrellas and sun loungers outlined in red and green in full line with the maison's DNA, but directly inspired by the bright colours of the French Riviera. A few kilometres further East, near the town of Sestri Levante, Paul&Shark inaugurated Tigu Beach, a customised club with towels as green as the Ligurian hinterland, orange boiserie and Parisian-style furnishings. Valentino, too, will leave its signature on the seashore this summer; the new Escape 2023 collection, a capsule of caftans, light dresses and beachwear decorated with the maison's most iconic graphics, will be hosted on the Amalfi coast by Palazzo Avino, kicking off a collaboration that also involves the customisation of the hotel's entire beach club, for the occasion tinted in Valentino's bright pink hues. On the Spanish coast, on the other hand, Fendi debuted the first signature beach in the brand's history at the Puente Romano Beach Resort in Marbella, with interior design inspired by the zodiac signs just like the looks of the new Astrology Summer Capsule Collection 2023, also on display at the establishment.

While a number of Italian brands have decided to leave the Bel Paese to enjoy the summer, the historic maison Giorgio Armani inaugurated a full-fledged summer tour this spring, departing from Porto Cervo, which will transport a tropical setting the colour of the sea around Europe and Asia to present the SS23 collection. Giorgio Armani's pop-up arrived in Taormina on 13 June, and will remain open for the duration of a month. Simone Porte's brand, Jacquemus, also planned several openings around the world this year, initially landing in Como, with a pop-up store dedicated to the new capsule collection, and then touching down in Portofino in Liguria and St Tropez in France.The latter destination has also been chosen by Loro Piana, which with La Réserve à la Plage has transferred all the Italian savoir-faire belonging to the brand's DNA to one of the most popular cities on the Côte d'Azur, in a pop-up store that also opens its doors to a beach club with discreet tones. In the same naturalistic vein is Golden Goose's Forte dei Marmi concept store, Floreria Golden, with its vintage-inspired wood furnishings, aged carpets and thin tile ceilings recalling the brand's Venetian headquarters. Renewing Golden Goose's commitment to safeguarding traditional Italian craftsmanship, Floreria Golden started a collaboration with Cicli Maggi to customise bicycles with graphics and fabric flowers.