Jorge Cruz is the suite manager at Fifth Avenue Club Orlando.
Involved in the retail world since he was 15, Jorge Cruz has worked with dozens of brands in the footwear, makeup and luxury categories. He leads a team of stylists at the Fifth Avenue Club at The Ritz Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes, a personal shopping and styling service that creates bespoke wardrobes customized to each client’s lifestyle. Cruz sat down with Orlando magazine to offer tips on how to fashionably navigate Orlando’s hot and humid summers while creating a look that’s true to you.
Orlando magazine: What are the hottest trends for Summer 2024 and how are you seeing these trends play out in the Orlando market?
Jorge Cruz: What I’m noticing is that denim is back, whether it be fitted or oversized. Monochromatic white is very big for the summer. I love to use textures when we do monochromatic looks. Then we’re looking at colors like coral, peach and blue, plus metallics. Those are some of the big trends right now.
A buzz word right now is Tenniscore. So, everything tennis-inspired, everything mini is back. We’re seeing it here already.
OM: When you use textures with monochromatic white, what type of pieces do you pull together?
JC: We just had a guest go with her husband to Europe for four weeks. I’ll use her as an example. Since she doesn’t want to carry a lot of luggage and will be traveling from country to country, I would do a simple summer white dress. That can be worn during the day with sandals. And then for more of an evening look, she can wear the same dress paired with a slingback, and add some color, like in a belt.
I love silks. Scarves are a great accessory, especially for ladies. So, you can incorporate the monochromatic with the white dress and a white silk, in the same tones of white.
OM: What fashion inspirations do you draw in when updating a client’s wardrobe with these trends and colors?
JC: For so many years we have had different means of looking at fashion. You have social media right now, it’s very big—TikTok, Instagram, Facebook. I still have my old-school ways, I like to look at magazines and look through all my catalogs every month. What I enjoy about what we do, it’s taking everywhere that you see fashion and bringing it to life here at the club, because we bring all these elements and pieces to you. We’re able to give our guests an opportunity to play.
OM: How does one dress for Orlando’s hot and humid temperatures and still do so fashionably?
JC: When they’re dealing with the intense humidity and heat, I always tell people to embrace it, it’s not going to go anywhere. We can go through three weathers in one day: we can have a cloudy morning, thunderstorms by mid-afternoon and later, beautiful sunny weather. We encounter a lot of people who recently moved to Orlando at the club. I tell my clients to always keep a raincoat in their cars—you can wear it over your head when it rains—and always keep an umbrella in your work bag.
I’m always in layers, believe it or not, for summer. I’ll leave my house wearing a button-down shirt, and will put on a blazer sometimes.
Layer a crewneck Pima cotton shirt underneath your work shirt, so when you get off work, you can remove the button-down shirt. Then you have a beautiful Pima cotton shirt that you can wear with your slacks and put on a comfortable sneaker. If you want to take off your loafers, you can put on a driving moccasin.
Denim, whether it be fitted or oversized, is one of Summer 2024’s hottest trends, according to Cruz. Photo by Roberto Gonzalez
OM: What’s your best tip for keeping makeup looks fresh in the summertime?
JC: My philosophy is skin first, makeup second. Before you put on any makeup, anything, the rule of thumb is you must use the right moisturizer, the right product for your skin type. If you don’t, when you start putting on foundation, it’s going to look runny or blotchy. The moisturizer is like your primer. Then put on sunblock. And, for anyone who lives in Orlando: In the summer, translucent powder is your friend.
OM: What’s a piece you think that everyone needs to have in their wardrobes for this season if they don’t already?
JC: A crisp, clean white shirt. You never go wrong with white. Yes, it’s trendy right now but white is classic. It’s timeless. For women, oversized white shirts can be paired with denim. You can wear it with your pencil skirt or with your denim skirt. You can take it on holiday and belt it. The same thing for men. A classic white shirt can go with denim, slacks and shorts.
OM: How would you dress someone for a summer event such as a wedding or a garden party?
JC: You can never go wrong with a summer dress. If the wedding’s outside at the beach, you might want to wear it with some sandals because of the sand, and if you want to use that same dress for a nice cocktail dinner, pair it with some beautiful slingbacks. Stick to a solid color because it’s so much easier to use that dress again, all you need is the right accessories to make it happen.
Cruz and his team tailor head-to- toe wardrobes to each client’s needs and likes. Photo Courtesy of Saks
OM: What is the philosophy of the Fifth Avenue Club Orlando?
JC: We have weddings and cocktail parties and all these serious things that we have to get ready for. But at the end of the day, it’s supposed to be fun. I like the whole [styling] process. It’s fun from start to finish, creating a look and seeing the client’s face and how they feel about themselves.
Our goal here is to give you a true leisure experience. There are more than 500 brands in our portfolio. What shoe might work for you might not work for the next guest and that’s the beauty about what we do here. We don’t have to go with something that’s just OK. We want to make sure that you’re blown away and that you’re happy.
OM: What are your best tips for packing your wardrobe when traveling?
JC: Be prepared. Have your itinerary before you start packing. How many days will you be gone? Where are you going? Will you be indoors or outside? Get the weather for the location. Once you have your itinerary, pack accordingly.
I keep it simple. I have clothes that I only take on vacation—those are classic linens and linen blends. I love Pima cotton because it feels cool to the body and to the touch. Simple fashion, because when you’re on vacation, let’s face it, nobody wants to think, you just want to put it on. Create a section in your closet with travel essentials. I’ve taken the same things on vacation for years; I just change my accessories.
But you always should have a new shoe on vacation. It gives you an extra spring in your step. I don’t care where you’re going. There’s something about a new pair of shoes that does it for me. It does it for everybody.
For more information, visit saksfifthavenue.com/locations/s/the-fifth-avenue-club-orlando