New York in the fog was probably not what Michael Kors envisaged when he chose a pier as the location for his spring/summer 2019 show. No matter. On Wednesday morning, the collection brought thoughts of better weather: this was Michael Kors on holiday.

The designer likes to take a theme and run with it. In this case, that meant brights, sun hats, shorts, bikinis and even luggage tags. There were also towels, cashmere, for the fictional (but plausible) Michael Kors beach club. The soundtrack glided from Good Vibrations to Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini and Je T’aime.

Ashley Graham sports sunnies and a headscarf Photograph: WWD/Rex/Shutterstock

The models were diverse across age, gender, ethnicity and size, with the plus-size Ashley Graham among them.

The best outfits had a casual feel – a hoodie slung over a full skirt and crop top in matching 60s floral print; a frilled polka-dot skirt worn with a denim jacket. Pastel sweaters were adorned with images of surfers catching a wave.

Gigi and Bella Hadid backstage with Michael Kors. Photograph: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Michael Kors

At a preview, Kors, in his trademark black outfit clutching a green juice, said the collection was about “escape, optimism, looking at life in a positive way … every day we look at our phones, we have two much crazy news”. French Polynesia and Malibu were mentioned. Kors was keen to point out the increased diversity of the models in the show. “Fashion is embracing diversity, and now we have to show the world,” he said.

The designer is a native New Yorker and a former judge on the US reality TV show Project Runway. He is also fond of a one-liner. Kors described an outfit with a bikini top, cashmere hoodie and wide-legged trousers as one that would take the wearer from “sand to soiree”, while the collection was a “Xanax for a complicated world”.

Frills and wide belts accentuated the beach-inspired vibe. Photograph: Bebeto Matthews/AP

The Michael Kors company is experiencing a growth spurt. Revenues increased by 26% in the second quarter of this year, partly because of the acquisition of Jimmy Choo last year. The shoe brand is expected to add about $580m (£445m) to $590m to the company in 2018.

The resurgence is also down to the shifting strategy of the brand. Once synonymous with accessible luxury, Michael Kors has reduced the number of retailers that stock the brand, the theory being that the more exclusive it is, the more people will invest in it.