From Dior to Longchamp: fashion transforms Mediterranean resorts

Seaside luxury is no longer just a summer flirtation—it’s a full-season strategy. From Dior to Dolce & Gabbana, fashion’s biggest names are turning coastal destinations into branded playgrounds. High-end hotels, beach clubs, and restaurants are being transformed into immersive brand spaces, blending lifestyle, leisure, and luxury in some of the world’s most exclusive resort towns. But this sun-soaked real estate isn’t just for the mega players anymore. A wave of mid-sized and independent labels—Longchamp, Lacoste, Coccinelle, and others—is making its own mark on the Mediterranean.

This summer, Christian Dior extends its world tour with the Dioriviera summer collection. LVMH’s flagship fashion house is multiplying activations with pop‑up stores from Bali to Seoul, featuring exotic bamboo and rattan structures. In Ibiza, Capri, Mykonos, Bodrum, D‑Maris and Portofino, deckchairs, umbrellas and other accessories at selected beaches and pools are adorned with toile de Jouy prints from the Dioriviera collection.

Dior also customizes armchairs and sofas for travelling spas and cafés, including the “Bacaro Dior” at Venice’s Hotel Cipriani, owned by LVMH’s Belmond hotel chain. Pools feature animal‑shaped buoys, while seaside stops offer excursions aboard Riviera boats decorated with the Dior signature.

Roberto Cavalli sets up shop in Cannes and the Balearic Islands. On the Côte d’Azur, the Italian label decorates the private Annex Beach on the Croisette with its zebra stripes and “Ray of Sea” print, while at Playa d’en Bossa in Ibiza, it takes over the Oyster & Caviar Bar at The Unexpected Ibiza Hotel, decorating its pool with parasols, beach beds, cushions and towels. Not forgetting the Jacuzzi.

Jacquemus is also in Monaco this season, partnering with the Monte‑Carlo Beach Club. Its signature banana‑or‑coconut yellow and black stripes, inspired by its La Croisière collection presented in January in Paris, decorate deckchairs, parasols and towels at the pontoon and Olympic Pool Café. Nearby, two dedicated boutiques embrace the Provençal spirit dear to Simon Porte Jacquemus.

Dolce & Gabbana multiplies activations this summer in exclusive venues. Each time, the label dresses the beach in distinctive prints—towels, furniture, buoys, surfboards—as well as cafés and restaurants with tablecloths, cushions and tableware. The leopard theme takes over the Clap House in Ibiza; banana leaves deck Twiga Beach and its Vesta restaurant in Forte dei Marmi for a tropical green ambiance.

Sicilian ceramic motifs adorn Carillon Beach Club near Portofino and its restaurant and pop‑up. Blue ceramic motifs appear at La Cabane, a club at Marbella’s Los Monteros, the pool at San Domenico Palace in Taormina, and across the Atlantic at Gurney’s Montauk Resort & Seawater Spa in the Hamptons. Near Saint‑Tropez, the duo install a bohemian‑style pop‑up on Pampelonne’s Casa Amor beach, using cart‑inspired motifs also seen at Hotel Cala di Volpe in Porto Cervo, Sardinia.

Louis Vuitton differentiates itself with a gourmet ice‑cream kiosk positioned outside its Forte dei Marmi boutique. Fully in line with local seaside tradition, the green wooden structure offers ten flavours developed with historic gelato maker Galliano 1923. The experience features brand‑detail cookies, the mascot in flower form, and other visual touches consistent with the Louis Vuitton image.

Forte dei Marmi continues to attract fashion activations. Longchamp has again redesigned the Bagno Felice 1 resort near its boutique. A special edition of its Pliage model will be sold all summer. The brand’s green identity colours beach furniture, cabins and textiles—from cabin keys to backgammon boards—and hosts live music and events throughout the season.

Italian leather brand Coccinelle has partnered with Sirocco Volcanic restaurant on Milos, Greece, featuring products in a beach-and-concept‑store setting. Deckchairs and accessories—including cushions and placemats—bear the brand’s name. A pop‑up near Port Adamas also offers curated pieces.

Lacoste brings green-and-white stripes and its crocodile motif to Tigu Beach in Sestri Levante. The French sportswear brand designs beds, parasols, towels and cushions, and presents its original Lacoste perfume at the café‑restaurant, open from morning till night.

Guess is stepping up a gear with its “Beach clubs” project, launched three years ago. The American jeans brand has announced no fewer than nine partnerships with some of the most popular beaches in the Mediterranean basin, strengthening its presence in key European markets while expanding into new destinations. These include Kalua Beach Club in Mykonos, Greece; the panoramic terrace and swimming pool of the Sopot Marriott Resort & Spa in Poland, overlooking the Baltic Sea in the heart of Sopot; Purobeach Vilamoura on Portugal’s Algarve coast; and Bernie’s Beach Club on the Dutch coastline.

Guess dresses beach furniture and accessories inspired by seascapes and coastal lifestyle, applying its name and signature 4G motif to towels and surfboards. Alongside the new locations, the label also returns to Turkey—via Ruins in Bodrum and Yuzu Beach in Çeşme—to the Balearic Islands with Blue Marlin Ibiza in Cala Jondal Bay, and to Italy at La Fenice in Forte dei Marmi and Arienzo Beach Club in Positano.

“This project reflects our commitment to consolidating Guess’s reputation in international markets. By collaborating with some of Europe’s most prestigious beach clubs, we are not only strengthening the brand’s image, but also offering holidaymakers an immersive experience blending fashion, lifestyle and luxury travel,” said Creative Director Paul Marciano in a statement.

The Cancemi family commissioned Italian stylist Alessandro Enriquez to furnish their newly inaugurated Braccialieri resort hotel, nestled among olive trees in the heart of baroque Sicily, in the Noto Valley. Known for his bold and cheerful aesthetic, Enriquez brings a pop-infused flair to the entire venue, enriching it with colorful fantasy motifs.

His touch is evident throughout the resort, from the café and restaurant to the leisure areas with parasols and deckchairs. The highlight is the swimming pool, which he decorates with large red-and-white tiles inspired by traditional kitchen floors. A large communal garden table also reflects his whimsical yet convivial approach to design.

For the second summer in a row, Pollini, the luxury shoemaker owned by the Aeffe Group (Moschino), returns to customize Café del Lago, located near the port of La Salina on the island of Formentera. Facing the lagoon, the space reflects the elegant restraint of the historic Italian footwear brand.

Combining design and a Mediterranean touch, Pollini uses natural materials and a soft, coastal palette of sand, ivory, and rope. Every detail has been considered: the label’s signature aesthetic appears on cushions, seating, menus, lanterns, and even a pedal boat made available to guests.