No need to look longingly at your forlorn passport and your luggages any more. Just because our travel plans have had a wrench thrown into the works doesn’t mean that our minds can’t dream of faraway destinations.
And what better way to do it than with these fashionable escapades? From the bustle of Shanghai to the romantic cobblestone walkways of Paris, fashion brands are inviting you to embark on your own journey, with new and exciting ventures to help you start setting your travel goals for when we get to hop on a plane next.
01 | Louis Vuitton sets sail for Shanghai
Fashion is fun, and Virgil Abloh wants you to remember that. Especially in the sobering mood of these unprecedented times that we are living in, Abloh’s SS21 menswear show for Louis Vuitton is a celebration of colour, art and life.
The look in the show is flecked with ’80s rave colours and severe tailoring – best embodied in a cobalt blue suit with a neon yellow shirt peeking out from underneath. The house’s Damier check gets reinterpreted into a warped checkerboard print, or embossed patterns on a cherry red jacket.
Staged in Shanghai, it feels like the perfect homage to the city’s sense of buzzing energy and wonderment. As house spokesperson Kris Wu closed the show with a giant inflatable on his back, we are once again reminded that there is joy and magic to be found, even right now.
02 | Versace brings the heat of Miami Beach
Over to the house of Versace, where the Versace Flash collection promises to bring the heat and passion of Miami to you. With the first drop in stores now, shoppers can expect Versace’s signature use of acidic colours, Medusa motifs and animal patterns in their iconic brand of sexy, streetwear-meets-couture looks.
Full-skirted mini dresses in neon pink snakeskin and power-shouldered pastel blouses await the women, while the guys have silk twin-sets and sporty blousons to look forward to.
03 | Dior takes you to Italy
Set in the idyllic town of Lecce in the Southern part of Italy, Maria Grazia Chiuri brought magic into the Piazza del Duomo with her Cruise 2021 collection. Apart from a very small and select group of attendees, the show was witnessed by the town’s inhabitants. And as with past collections, Chiuri and her team put a spotlight on the craftwork within the region, thus shining a spotlight on the intricate craft that the Pugliese women are known for.
Across 90 looks, a celebration of Dior’s codes walked the runway: frothy tulle dresses with gold embroidery, bar jackets and tailored boxy outerwear paired with sassy shorts or wide-legged pants, full skirts worn with sober shirts were all aplenty. Proceeding into the eveningwear, diaphanous chiffon dresses floated down the runway – some worn with tough leather bodices for a gladiator-like appeal – took you out of your home and transported you into Dior’s Italian storybook.
04 | Burberry brings art into the desert
As part of the Summer Monogram campaign that the English brand launched last month, the next chapter takes the monogram to several places across the world. In Dubai, artist Nathaniel A. Alapide imprinted the monogram into the desert sand, creating a fashionable mirage that was designed to be fleeting. “If you create something in the desert, it will always cover it up – it has that ephemeral nature to it”, he says. “The desert is unforgiving. But when you go out into the desert, it is always a collaboration with nature.”
In Shenzhen, a fleet of sailboats bore the monogram proudly on their sails as they traversed the harbour, while hot air balloons lifted off in Inner Mongolia – a coming together of beautiful, time-hewn landscapes with the brand’s forward-thinking monogram.
05 | Chanel welcomes you back to Paris
Miss visiting Chanel’s boutique on Rue Cambon? Yeah, us too. While we patiently wait for the next time we get to visit, we’re finding temporary relief in Chanel’s new Métiers d’art collection.
Set against a runway backdrop inspired by the iconic mirrored stairway at 31 Rue Cambon, the collection is a celebration of handcrafted details and traditional techniques that make each item unique and special. From handwoven tweeds to gem-embellished jackets and feathered boleros, a procession of suits, party dresses and elegant separates bore the soft femininity that colour Virginie Viard’s work. C’est chic!