There's something about the Cote d'Azur in summer that makes even sensible people want to wear white linens and sip things with umbrellas in them. Simon Porte Jacquemus clearly felt that pull too. For the second year running, the French fashion designer has commandeered Monte-Carlo Beach, the storied hotel perched on the cliffs of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, and given its entire beach club a makeover so thoroughly nostalgic you'll swear Brigitte Bardot just stepped out of the water.
Last summer's collaboration was a sepia-toned affair dominated by mustard yellow and black stripes. This year, Jacquemus has gone full pastel mode, pivoting to soft whites and cool blues that evoke the aesthetic of 1950s Mediterranean beach clubs when glamour was effortless and leisure was a serious business. It's the kind of place that makes you understand why photographers like Helmut Newton fell in love with the Riviera and never quite left.
What You're Actually Walking Into
Monte-Carlo Beach itself is no ordinary resort. This Relais and Chateaux property houses just 40 rooms and suites overlooking the sea, which means it's the kind of place where everyone dresses like they have somewhere important to be, even at breakfast. The property sprawls across a rare pocket of Mediterranean coastline with its own private beach, an Olympic-size swimming pool, tennis courts that face the water, a spa, and an 18-hole golf course. The on-site restaurants include Elsa Marcel Ravin, which carries a Michelin star like other hotels carry a front desk clerk.
The Jacquemus takeover transforms the beach club into something between a fashion installation and a vacation fantasy. Striped umbrellas and loungers echo the designer's Plage collection. Towels, beach bags, and t-shirts all sport the Jacquemus touch. There's even a photo booth designed around the brand's Hippocampe scarf pattern, because Instagram moments are clearly part of the hospitality equation now. Two exclusive Jacquemus boutiques operate on-site seven days a week, stocked with the collaboration's limited capsule collection.
The Bigger Picture
What's happening at Monte-Carlo Beach isn't random. The hospitality and fashion worlds have begun a serious flirtation. Designers are no longer content with simply dressing people; they want to dress entire spaces and experiences. Earlier this year, Elie Saab took the helm of a Global 8000 aircraft interior. Dolce and Gabbana unleashed its Maiolica Gialla print across the Sardinian Luxury Collection Hotel Cala di Volpe. Burberry nestled itself into Hotel Belles Rives in Antibes. These aren't sponsorships in the traditional sense. They're immersive brand universes where guests can live inside a designer's vision, even if just for a long weekend.
The collaboration runs through September 27, 2026. There's also a dedicated window display at the nearby Hotel de Paris Monte-Carlo if you want to window shop before committing to an actual stay. But let's be honest: if you've made it this far down the article, you're already checking flight prices.
