Ticking the boxes

I am not sure there is such a thing as set standards for Cruise collections. Personally, I feel there are certain things that always must be present —a maxi skirt and dress, a cocktail dress, an LBD, a tailored cotton trouser, a well cut blazer, shorts and a slightly loose knit jumper. Then, of course, they are to be played with and more interesting pieces to go with them are to be added but I feel a good resort line must include all of the above to be considered so.
Looking at the Cruise 2011 collections shown so far I have to admit I am a little impressed with the improvement. I suppose designers are also learning what to make of these odd and season-less lines they must produce. Since we can't speak of trends per se, for that is the whole point of these collections, I looked at colour. Along with white and black, orange has been very present in most collections. It works in a multitude of tones, it looks fresh but it's not too wild, and is apt for any scenery.

YSL and Michael Kors are two of my favourite Cruise 2011 collections. The first felt very fresh, as Stefano Pilati rarely uses any colour, let alone bright ones. The designs were along the classic lines of the French house but had a very cool edge that I personally loved. Kors, who usually plays it ridiculously safe, really surprised me with his line. The clean lines and simple clothes were full of East-coast coolness. I want more of that in his regular collections!

Oscar de la Renta's show was odd. The first half of the collection was all over the place, with sloppy combinations of garments, colours and prints while the second was this explosion of glamour. Gowns in the best colours, prints and shapes walked the runway until the end. My favourite was the white polka-dotted one above.

I found Rachel Roy's Cruise 2011 collection absolutely stunning. There was a lot of maxi dresses and skirts and some very cool layering and see-through-ness. She really made her collection look completely new using wardrobe staples and twisting them with very chic hands.

Which collection did you love?
I'm off.

[Style.com]