The Last Resort?

"Resort" is a fashion season I've never quite grasped the concept of. For those of you unfamiliar with the term, Resort falls between Fall/Winter and Spring/Summer (with Resort 2014 collections being showcased mid-summer 2013 and hits stores from December 2013) Similar to summer styles in terms of lightweight materials and barely-there shapes, Resort collections generally stick to a colour palette of pale pastels and whites rather than the traditional bold shades of summer. Targetting wealthy women who holiday in hot climates in January, Resort collections -similar to Pre-Fall lines- can be massively lucrative for design houses and are thus are usually more commercial than the high-fashion editorial pieces that walk the Spring or Fall catwalks.

This week Sarah Burton showcased her Resort 2014 collection for Alexander Mc Queen, taking inspiration from the structured utility workwear of the 1940s and the flower-power prints and relaxed tailoring of the 1960s/70s. Whilst the resulting collection is unquestionably stunning and definitely has mass commercial appeal, I can't help but feel the collection is a step too far away from the signature dark pieces with which McQueen is associated. The ivory macramé, denim patchwork and pretty haute-hippie prints lack the boundary-pushing shock factor Alexander McQueen was famous for. Instead the collection exudes an air of classic femininity one would usually see from the more commercial Haute fashion houses of Chanel and Dior. Granted it's a recession, and it's also a trans-season collection, but one can't help but hope September sees a welcome return of the unconventional twisted McQueen designs we all know and love.