MANILA, Philippines?In his desire to heed fashionistas? clamor to look chic from day to night after emerging from a long, dark winter, Marc Jacobs, creative director of Louis Vuitton, produced a red carpet-worthy cruise collection consisting mostly of separates for those laidback evening soirees by the beach or aboard a private yacht.

In a morning presentation at the Clipper Lounge in Hong Kong this week, LV executives led by Dinesh Kandiah, public relations director for Asia-Pacific, unveiled the brand?s 2009 cruise collection of long, flowing dresses, voluminous tops, light cardigans and abbreviated shorts inspired by the ?70s.

Kandiah also presented several of the season?s potential It bags, made either of fluorescent pink or neon orange neoprene embossed with iconic monogram emblems. Aptly named Scuba, LV?s latest series, like its classic counterpart, is accented with pale cow-hide trims and handles.

Ideal for stashing away sunbathing essentials, including LV?s semi-beaded black bathing suit and a pair of acid-colored thongs, the Scuba comes in two sizes: an oversized tote and a smaller carryall.

Taking his cue perhaps from the success of Global Shopper?s bags several seasons ago, Jacobs dug into LV?s archives and unearthed a graphic logo dating back to 1929. He dusted it off and is now printed either in pink or orange on a medium-size shoulder bag made of ?bicolor? cotton canvas. The same logo, albeit bigger and in black, appears on a large tote made of the same material.

New versions

For today?s bag ladies, Jacobs unveiled new versions of the Monogram Galliera in python, raffia and the Damier Azur.

Again, as far as LV?s RTW-collection goes, the designer?s fondness for playing with contrasting volumes and silhouettes is evident in the collection. So is his penchant for a bit of bling, as shown in a pair of low-slung short shorts with narrow, beaded waistband.

Instead of zeroing in on the hips and waists, which is evident in his current fall-winter pieces, Jacobs shifted his focus to new areas of the woman?s body?the shoulders and the back.

Shirred and pleated sleeveless blouses in such summer staples as salmon, powder pink and pale blue are paired with either black or white slim pants. The collection also has its share of silk pencil skirts and textured cotton coat dresses that evoke elegance on and off the tennis court.

Bow details and gold-plated buttons, two other favorite LV accents, are also evident, especially in the black cocktail dress with straps at the back and the billowing halter-neck fuchsia jumpsuit with plunging back.

A pale peach goddess dress in fluid jersey is gracefully draped to emphasize and flatter the shoulders. Its long, flowing hemline is meant to glide on the red carpet, but definitely not on a seashell-strewn sandy beach.

Other iconic details from the wild decade, which Jacobs appropriated but deliberately toned down, include a geometric wedge heel in various neutral and fruity shades, and bold color blocks evident in some shoes and skirts.

Accomplished collaborator

After his highly publicized collaborations with various creative people, Jacobs has again teamed up with an accomplished artist?London-based fashion illustrator and designer Tanya Ling.

Apart from reproductions of Ling?s watercolor illustrations of women as backdrops, the presentation also highlighted a number of white silk twill pieces that acted as exquisite canvases for painterly reinterpretations of the artist?s watercolor stripes in such shades as pink, blue and yellow.

The pieces to which they were printed on were equally noteworthy: an asymmetrically draped top and skirt with bow details, bracelet-sleeved jacket and a pair of shorts. Reproductions of Ling?s artworks were also evident on two white wedges with floral prints either in fuchsia or turquoise.

Designed primarily as a bridge between fall-winter and spring-summer, the cruise collection is a fairly recent development in the realm of luxury fashion.

That there?s a growing demand for such pieces meant from January to March, a rather short period even in the fickle world of fashion, should no longer come as a surprise. Season after season, top fashion houses try to outdo each other to gain fashionistas? attention. As far as LV is concerned, this year is proving to be no different.