Rosie Paterson
This summer, there are blue skies, white sand and your favourite fashion house around every corner because, no longer satisfied with mere summer collections, these luxury brands are infiltrating the long holiday’s hottest destinations. Think beach club collaborations, pop-ups and menu takeovers.
Though most, if not all, have some sort of retail space (selling limited-edition pieces specific to that location), the real attraction lies in the ability to fully immerse yourself in the world according to Dior, Burberry, Louis Vuitton… the list goes on.
So, without further ado, here is our pick of some of the best.
Where: Il Riccio, Capri, Italy
Who: Dior
For the fifth consecutive year, Dioriviera —the French luxury houses’s collection of toile de Jouy embellished creations — has taken over Jumeirah Capri Palace’s beach club, Il Riccio, which is steps away from one of the Italian island’s most famous attractions, the Blue Grotto. As well as beach huts, cabanas and sun loungers all decked out in Jouy pattern, there’s a pop-up Dior boutique.
Head into Capri’s main town and you’ll also find two new Bottega Veneta shops and a single Giorgio Armani one, all open for the full summer season.
Where: Monte-Carlo Beach Club, Monaco
Who: Jacquemus
Jacquemus’s founder and designer Simon Porte has a history of staging his runway shows in sunny locations (the lavender fields of Provence, a beach in Oahu, Hawaii) so it should come as no surprise that he’s decided to settle in one (well, actually two) for the whole summer.
As well as Ibiza, where there is a seasonal pop-up, the Côte d’Azur native has taken Monte Carlo by storm, styling the eponymous Beach Club’s legendary pier and Pool Café in his signature banana yellow, milky white and black colour palette. There are also two new boutiques for all of your post-lunch, impulsive purchasing needs. The beach club is open to hotel guests and visitors alike.
Elsewhere in Monte-Carlo, you’ll find a seasonal Lacoste café and a new Zegna store.
Last year, Jacquemus popped up on St Tropez’s Indie Beach; this year, its shoes have been filled by California cool brand James Pearse — with a temporary shop selling a capsule collection and fun bits such as custom-designed surfboards.
Where: Forte dei Marmi, Tuscany, Italy
Who: Louis Vuitton
This summer, fashion meets flavour is where else, but Italy, thanks to Louis Vuitton’s pop-up gelateria — situated on the Via Giosuè Carducci in Forte dei Marmi, an upmarket beachside town, a couple of hours away from Florence.
The forest-green kiosk, guarded by Vivienne, the maison’s mascot, is serving ten traditional and two special, custom-made flavours, including Gaston (zuccotto with sponge cake, brittle and dark chocolate) and Vivienne (Portuguese milk and mandarin). The ice cream is being produced in collaboration with Galliano, a renowned local institution. Louis Vuitton is no stranger when it comes to summery fun and the foray in icy treats follows in the footsteps of Le Bar Louis Vuitton, atop their Corso Umberto shop in Taormina, Sicily, and menu take-over at White 1921 hotel in St Tropez, France — which is now in its third year.
Where: The Newt, Somerset, England
Who: Burberry
The Great British summer is officially in full swing and there’s no better way to celebrate than with two fantastic institutions. The Newt hotel and Burberry. The brand’s signature check — which, in recent years, has reclaimed its cool crown from the 90s logomania period that threatened to kill it off altogether — reimagined in heritage, Newt green, has taken over the 2,000-acre estate, appearing on upholstered loungers and parasols, sports equipment and gold buggies. It’s even been mown into the grass.
Where: Place des Lices, St Tropez, France
Who: Connolly
British brand Connolly has packed up everything it is known for — exceptional clothes, exemplary leather goods and love of photography — and taken it to St Tropez for the summer. Inside the temporary store, open July and August, you’ll also find goods from Globe-Trotter, Fornasetti and Smythson, and a limited-edition t-shirt and beach bag decorated with a specially-commissioned illustration by artist Rose Blake.
Sadly, the lovely yellow car isn’t for sale.
Where: The Ritz-Carlton, Bali, Indonesia
Who: Missoni
The Missoni Resort Club at Ritz-Carlton Bali is the amalgamation of two, very distinctive expressions of luxury — one known for its maximalist approach to pattern and the other to refined elegance. The private beachfront paradise is now studded with emerald and turquoise Missoni striped parasols, loungers and beanbags. There are also branded items such as kits and yoga mats to help you make the most of your holiday.
Where: San Domenico Palace, Taormina, Sicily, Italy
Who: Dolce and Gabanna
Originally a 14th century convent, the San Domenico Palace was transformed into a hotel in 1896, one year before the first issue of Country Life hit the shelves. It has since ushered Audrey Hepburn, Sophia Loren, and, more recently, the cast of The White Lotus (season two) through the doors. This summer, Dolce & Gabbana’s Blu Mediterraneo print sings from all of the Four Seasons hotel’s poolside surfaces; further inland, there’s a pop-up boutique where an ancient monastery once stood, selling Dolce clothing and accessories, plus items exclusive to the location.
Where: Fouquet’s, New York, USA
Who: La DoubleJ
Fouquet’s hotel, in New York’s Tribeca district, has introduced a British-inspired tea service, served on La DoubleJ homeware. The afternoon tea, which is available to hotel guests and the public (from 4pm to 6pm) can be enjoyed on the hotel’s Parisian-style rooftop or in Terrace Suite rooms. The Italian brand, famed for its vibrant prints, has previously collaborated with Passalacqua hotel in Lake Como, Italy, on its communal poolside space and informal restaurant.
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