23 Ready-to-Wear Resort Collections

It's resort season in the fashion world and high-end fashion houses from Donna Karan to Givenchy, Michael Kors and many more are releasing all of the freshest and hippest in vacation-wear. Resort wear is a year-end fashion "season" that was originally intended to cate to very affluent customers who spend the post-christmas/New Year's weeks in warm weather climates. Sometimes referred to as "getaway wear" or "cruise wear", these intermittent collections from upscale designers are multipurpose and usually include beach and evening wear.

The 2012 resort season has seen some fresh and bold styles that mix and match many up-and-coming summer fashion with some more historic ones from decades past. Among them, intricate prints, florals, maxi dresses, bright colors and street-inspired fashion. Each designer presents a flavor of something different, but these patterns are easy to spot and fabulous to wear.