The Style Notes

It's no secret that resort has
become increasingly popular in
the last couple of years. Chanel
started showcasing the clothes
on a runway two years ago,
and last year was Dior's first
runway show for a resort
collection. Along the way
others caught on and now
there are roughly ten
designers who put on resort
shows, some quite elaborate. 
It's really no surprise that
these designers were ready
for a change, since resort
clothes can even surpass the
sales of spring and can also
stay in stores the longest.

But, that still leaves the
majority of the designers who
don't stage runway shows and
present the clothes in the
calmness of their own
showrooms instead. So why
haven't they jumped on the
bandwagon? Many people,
designers and consumers alike,
prefer the quieter approach.

Showroom presentations
offer relief to those
designers who want to escape
the pressures of having to
produce showstopping clothes
for the runway. "I love
designing resort," Zac Posen
says. "You don't get caught up
in the headaches of editorial
pressure. It's real clothing and
real fashion." Designer Anna
Sui agrees. "You have to
design differently for a show,"
she says. "You have to make it
showy. Resort is a relief
because you don't have those
other pressures. You just do
what you love and it comes
through."

A lot of women also prefer
resort clothes that are not
shown on a runway because
they aren't as recognizable.
Amanda Brooks, Tuleh's former
creative director, is one of
those people. "If a designer
makes a gown for a show,
everyone sees it," she says.
"In most cases, a resort gown
never goes down the runway
and it's not advertised. I like
that special feeling."

Nevertheless, resort runway
shows have gained a lot of
popularity, not to mention a
star-studded front row. Will
every designer end up staging
shows, or will it remain more
under-the-radar? Only time will
tell the future of resort.