Do Cruise collections still have a place in luxury?

13 Jun 2024

Dior showcased its Cruise collection in Scotland’s gardenia-filled Drummond Castle, while Gucci chose London’s Tate Modern for its Resort show. Louis Vuitton hosted guests at Barcelona’s Park Guëll, Chanel opted for the rooftop of Marseille’s MaMo Arts Center, Balenciaga took over Shanghai’s Museum of Art Pudong, and Max Mara presented in Venice’s Palazzo Ducale.

Resort shows took a brief pause during Covid-19 lockdowns. Post-pandemic, brands are ramping up their Resort season world tours to win back consumers and create buzz.

But amid the elaborate dinners, broad climates, cultural excursions and extensive rollout of new wares, what value does the prestigious affair of a Cruise show actually hold for brands today?

Catering to the crème de la crème:

While the fashion month rotation welcomes a melange of attendees – including famous faces, press, influencers, style commentators, and other media insiders – Cruise season tends to be exclusively reserved for luxury’s haute monde.

Hence the atmosphere surrounding destination shows is markedly more esteemed.

“Not only do [Cruise shows] provide an excellent opportunity to create an immersive brand experience in a unique setting, but they also allow the brand to create a closer connection with their regional audience,” Alison Bringé, CMO at Launchmetrics tells Jing Daily.

A far cry from the crowded calendars of the Big Four, resort events usually comprise intimate multi-day experiences for a tight-knit of high-net-worth-individuals, VICs (very important customers) and VIPs. Though this guestlist has expanded to include press, influencers, and celebrities over recent years, the exclusivity factor remains high.

Good ROI?

But these elaborate jaunts come with a cost. The price of a Cruise collection can easily rack up to seven figures for a brand today.

And in a period marked by slowing luxury spending and industry overproduction concerns, questions over the relevance of destination shows are mounting.

Recent fashion months have seen brands throw cash at runway spectacles to galvanize online attention. Funding for Cruise collections, however, is typically spent on the less-documented, behind-the-scenes itineraries hosted in the run-up to the main event.

This can include anything from lavish dinners and parties, to novel experiences and cultural tours.

Despite the hefty costs, Elisa Harca, co-founder and CEO of marketing agency Red Ant Asia, argues that these shows remain good value for money for brands.

“While the cruise line may not occupy the same central focus as the SS/FW shows, it maintains must-have status and plays a vital role in the brand’s creative vision and commercial strategy,” Harca says.

Last year’s Cruise show results showed a healthy return on investment.

According to influencer marketing platform Lefty, five of the 15 most popular fashion shows of last year (in terms of earned media value) were Resort collections, with Gucci, Boss, Versace and Max Mara’s pre-collection runways generating significantly higher EMV than their SS24 presentations.