By Kien M. Lee

Raf Simons, whose debut Spring/Summer 2013, Fall/Winter 2013/2014 ready-to-wear as well as his two Haute Couture collections for the House of Dior have received rave reviews complimenting his perfectly finished seams with meaningful references to art and fashion history, the use of sculptural lines and ravishing color infused with a sense of chic femininity, to his ability to draw upon the rich legacy of founder Christian Dior and add to it his own personality and interpretation.

On 18 May, Simons will make his debut Cruise 2014 collection for the French luxury label in glamorous Monaco, situated on the French riviera between Cap d'Ail and Menton.

The fashion showcase will take place a week before Formula 1 comes to town for the Monaco Grand Prix held from 23 to 26 May but the city-state measuring eight square kilometers, nestled between the French Alps and Mediterranean Sea, will be more than ready for the big show from Dior.

Monaco, which CNN calls the "Land of Superyachts, Super Casinos and Super Rich" and the place Wall Street Journal considers the most expensive place in the world to buy a home, is also a perfect location for Raf Simons' presentation of a Cruise, or otherwise known as "Resort", collection.

In May, the weather in the South of France will be as glorious as the ambiance and presents a setting for Dior  to unveil its collection croisière, featuring designs well-suited for the holiday and travel habits of jetsetters.

As expected, attendance for the Cruise fashion show is strictly on a by invitation only basis, and VIPs, fashion buyers, media and even the well-heeled are clamoring for the chance to watch the presentation in-person.

Speculation is rife as to where the location will be, as well as the anticipation of the set-up.

Will it look like the meticulously manicured garden, designed by landscape artist Martin Wirtz for Simons' Haute Couture collection back in January 2013?

Or will it have references to art history, as Simons did for his Fall/Winter 2013/2014 presentation in Paris earlier this month, when he drew inspiration from Andy Warhol and René Magritte and had the catwalk painted with fluffy white clouds on a blue background, lined with giant silver balloons?

Most importantly, what will be the "New Look" for Dior's Cruise Collection? Indeed Simons' new mandate and manifesto as Creative Director places emphasis on the female form, celebrating Dior's revolutionary silhouette as the redefinition of couture in these modern times.

"He [Monsieur Dior] embraced the feminine, the complex and the emotional; an idea of freedom from what had gone before," said Raf Simons.

The last time Dior presented its Cruise collection overseas, it was held at the Bund in the Chinese city of Shanghai in May of 2010, when John Galliano was at the helm. The designs showcased were Nouvelle Vague ("New Wave" in French) -inspired and the timing coincided with the reopening of Dior’s revamped boutique in luxury shopping mall Plaza 66 and the inauguration of a retrospective exhibition.