Sleek and chic from 3.1 Phillip Lim's resort collection

The resort (how delicious that word is, harking back to a time of cruise liners, cocktail hour and huge trunks stuffed with fabulous summer outfits being lugged around by a bevy of servants) collections have been trickling in, and there are some FABULOUS pieces to behold.

Graphic classics from Diane von Furstenberg

The biggest news about resort, or cruise collections, this year is how important they’ve been, and how the productions have expanded to full-blown catwalk shows (traditionally the resort collections were usually a presentation, or ‘lookbook’ with all the outfits modelled by a single girl). They are increasing important to designers, commercially speaking, but now the press are devoting more time to them too.

This gorgeous print dress by Jason Wu has already been worn by Rachel Weisz to the CFDA awards

The debate over whether resort and pre-fall collections will end up forming a third and forth fashion week on the already-crowded calendar, has become a heated one amongst the travelling fashion pack. US Vogue’s Derek Blasberg has said he enjoys the more relaxed vibe, where collections are spread over three weeks rather than one. On the other side is US Elle editor Robbie Myers, who is panicking  about how the resort shows have suddenly added a hectic extra three weeks into the fashion calendar; “The thing that’s torture about it is that it’s become a full-fledged show season, but it’s spread out over almost three weeks. So it’s impossible to schedule and get your work done and all that.”

Minimal genius from Narciso Rodriguez

What is to be done? Rumour has it that it was Anna Wintour’s idea to have full, catwalk presentations for the resort collections, so the likelihood is that resort and pre fall are set to become more, not less significant in the coming years. More clothes, more shows, more fashy feuds  . . .  what’s not to like? say us.

Stella McCartney held her resort show in 'an English country garden' in New York