Vuitton Cruise - LONDON KICKS - Fashion, Music, Art, Film, London and Going Out

Vuitton Resort S/S 09 is a pretty, wearable counterpoint to the Grace-Jones flecked sculptural shapes of A/W 08. That's partly what resort (or cruise, or pre-collection- sometimes I lose track) is all about- clothes that push an idea from the designer, but are more wearable, quietened-down, therefore covetable.

With its thematic notions of Summer, yachting and exotic holidays, 'Resort' is just right for a label like Vuitton which trades on luxury and travel as two core ideals. The clothes themselves were fresh, muted separates on one hand- pastel blues and pale peach replacing the brash red, white and blue nauticals of previous years- and smarter proposals like a very fine cropped black suit or floor-length dresses and skirts (a visual refreshment after a few seasons of minidresses) on the other.
It's well-rounded, too, featuring everything from knitwear to classic skirts (the kind of thing you could actually bringing out year after year- and that's a comforting thought) through to the drama of something like a wide-legged all-in-one or a patterned swimsuit. Pastels, pockets, cropped jackets- kittenish hair, hands on hips- there was a strong sixties feel to proceedings.

But what's Vuitton without the accessories? An oversized monogrammed pink tote (that actually works with a belted black dress), panelled and slightly chisel-toed heels, clutches and very non-flashy printed canvas shoulder bags with coloured piping continue the Autumn/Winter collection's minimalism across the bag ranges. Again- there's some classics, just what you'd want from a Resort range.

Though there were some twists; black fingerless gloves that add a very Vuitton pep to a safari dress or a satin trench jacket; fringed shoes; bows not being where you'd expect them; and a stripe print by Tanya Ling, a London fashion illustrator whose washed-out, delicate images have graced magazines across the globe.

All of which leaves you wondering what the Vuitton's S/S 09 will look like- more or less minimal? Will there be any shocks like the line of Richard Prince supermodel nurses, Marc Jacobs' video-screen case (perhaps playing Hannah Montana this year), or another artist collaboration? My sources tell me Rei Kawakubo is the next name getting involved, designing Vuitton bags in a specially-commissioned space in Tokyo this September. Which- when you look back at the Resort range- just goes to show the diversity of this ever-changing design house.

Elliott James Sainsbury