Luxury fashion houses no longer settle for flagship stores. This summer, they’re taking over the Mediterranean’s most coveted beach clubs and turning sun loungers into runway pieces.
Why Fashion Brands Are Taking Over Beach Clubs
The trend of seasonal beach club takeovers traces back to Coco Chanel, who opened boutiques in Deauville and Cannes decades ago. Today, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, Jacquemus, Dior, Burberry, Emporio Armani, and Missoni have perfected the formula, and summer 2026 might be the most ambitious season yet.
Dolce & Gabbana: Eight Locations in One Summer
D&G is the undisputed pioneer of the beach club takeover. For summer 2026, the brand has rolled out eight destinations stretching from Sardinia and Ibiza to Tuscany, Marbella, Sicily, and even New York’s Long Island. Each location gets its own iconic print: yellow Maiolica Gialla in Porto Cervo, the animal-inspired Leo motif in Ibiza, tropical Banano in Forte dei Marmi, and the blue-and-white Blu Mediterraneo in both Taormina and Montauk.
Gucci’s Flora Print Turns 60 in Monaco
The Flora print was born in 1966 as a gift for Princess Grace of Monaco. Sixty years later, it’s come full circle: Gucci has taken over La Rose des Vents beach club on Larvotto Beach, where floral loungers line the shore and Belgian artist Mark Colle has installed oversized blooms rising straight out of the sand.
Jacquemus Goes Double: Monaco and Bodrum
Simon Porte Jacquemus is everywhere this summer. In Monaco, he’s taken over Monte-Carlo Beach with the banana-yellow and striped coconut-white palette of his La Croisière collection. On Turkey’s coast, Jacquemus also transformed Blue Beach at the Mandarin Oriental, Bodrum, complete with striped beach buggies shuttling guests straight to the new boutique.
Dior Returns to Saint-Tropez and Capri
After years of renovation, the legendary Dior des Lices café is back in Saint-Tropez, this summer with a menu from Michelin-starred chef Mauro Colagreco. On Capri, Dior’s beloved Dioriviera pop-up continues at Il Riccio, dressing the cliffside beach club in its signature blue-and-white Toile de Jouy stripes above the Blue Grotto.
Burberry, Emporio Armani, and Missoni Join the Party
Burberry chose Hôtel Belle Rives on Cap d’Antibes — F. Scott Fitzgerald’s former summer home — and dressed it in its signature check, reworked in navy and cream. In Cannes, Emporio Armani took over Vega La Plage right next to the Carlton Hotel, while on Ibiza, Missoni splashed its signature turquoise and emerald stripes across the pool deck at OKU Ibiza.
The Beach Club Is the New Fashion Runway
For anyone heading to the Mediterranean this year, the takeaway is simple: an ordinary beach day can turn into a walk through the season’s hottest collection, no boutique required.
Sources: world.dolcegabbana.com, cntravellerme.com, cntraveller.de, vogueadria.com, theimpression.com, montecarlosbm.com, luxus-plus.com.
