GALLERY: Holt Renfrew has begun rolling out resort collections from Marni, Lanvin, Stella McCartney and more

Last week at the Bellair suite in the Hazelton Hotel, luxury resort Casa de Campo and Holt Renfrew threw a small soiree to preview the resort collections that will be rolling out from November to January. Barbara Atkin, vice-president of fashion direction, spoke about how appropriate each item could be for trips to Aspen and watching games on the polo field, instead of, say, referencing Whistler (or even Blue Mountain) and maybe a sport like hockey or lacrosse that actually could be relevant to people who live in Toronto. Of course, this is resort wear, which means escaping to destinations where a bikini replaces a parka and, for a couple weeks every year, assuming an identity of someone who follows the sport of polo (or perhaps does vacation in Aspen—no Mount St. Louis Moonstone ski-lift passes for you). The Row was a standout, pairing a soft and airy striped dress with matching socks and a pair of black oxfords, and we loved a cat-print shirt dress from Victoria Beckham. Check out the many new resort looks from Victoria Beckham, Marni, Lanvin, The Row, Stella McCartney, Oscar de la Renta and more in a gallery after the jump.

Stella McCartney’s Hawaiian shirt with striped shorts was a much more elegant take on something that is traditionally acquired from Tommy Bahama, while Marni showed prints and colour, as Marni does—our favourite was a blousy black top with a graphic-print short skirt. Although the looks ranged from young to old, some pieces seemed much too tailored and stuffy for what most people might imagine to be a resort look. Lanvin’s tweed dress with a frayed hemline and sleeves looked nice (if not a little like a carpet sample), but we couldn’t imagine any woman not being uncomfortable under the hot sun wearing it.

Check out the new resort looks available at Holt Renfrew »