The early flush of summer, between May and June, marks the arrival of the Cruise shows, a round-the-world odyssey that sees fashion brands decamp to far-flung locales to show their latest high-summer offerings (the tradition began in the early 20th century as European fashion houses began to cater for the burgeoning jet set classes).
After the Cruise 2024 shows took us to Mexico City, Los Angeles and Seoul, this season, fashion houses looked closer to home, swapping cross-continental travel for locations across Europe. First, Chanel showed in Marseille in early May on the roof of the Le Corbusier-designed Cité Radieuse, while Gucci held a blockbuster show at London’s Tate Modern later in the month. On 23 May 2024, it was the turn of Louis Vuitton, seeing Nicolas Ghesquière pay ode to Spain in Antoni Gaudí’s phantasmic Park Güell in Barcelona, followed by a Balenciaga show in Shanghai backdropped by the city’s futuristic skyline. Dior showed at the beginning of June at the historic Drummond Castle in Scotland, while Max Mara provided the season finale in Venice yesterday evening (11 June 2024).
