Before the Olympics, the Fabulous French Fashion Flex

When is a fashion show not just a fashion show? When it is a vehicle for cultural diplomacy.

At least this appears to be the case with the cruise (or resort or pre-spring or whatever you want to call them) destination extravaganzas that have taken place over the last month. These events increasingly serve to position the big five brands that hold them less as mere fashion houses and more as national ambassadors to the world: billion-euro avatars of influence on unofficial state visits.

Once upon a time, back when this interstitial season was invented to bridge the gap between the fall and spring runway shows, cruise collections seemed to contain clothes that were more wearable or practical than designs shown during the regular seasons. Now, at least in the hands of the mega-brands, the clothes (or at least their wearability) are almost besides the point. The point is the spectacle, access and power they represent — of all kinds, including that of celebrity and social media. Indeed, the front-row stars are as much an attention-grabbing part of the shows as the shows themselves.

In a world of fashion micro-trends, that may be the biggest trend of all.

This was especially true this season, as the shows of the five big heritage French brands — Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Hermès, Dior and Balenciaga — served as de facto calling cards for the Paris Olympics, which is being touted as the most “fashion” Olympics ever.

It is no coincidence that two of those brands, Louis Vuitton and Dior, are owned by LVMH, which is a top-line sponsor of the Olympics. Nor is the fact that Bernard Arnault, the mastermind of LVMH, has explicitly stated that he sees his mega-brands not as selling luxury, but selling “culture.” And it is worth noting that this was the first time Balenciaga had shown in China, and, for Hermès, the first new collection show held outside of France.

“Hermès has always had a strong connection with New York,” said the brand’s designer Nadège Vanhee, before her New York debut, held on Pier 36 and complete with hanging yellow traffic lights and a Gallic cocktail boîte.