Like many luxury fashion houses, Chanel delights in showing its Cruise collections in far-flung locations around the world – which figures, as nothing evokes the excitement of destination dressing better than physically being in an exotic destination.
We went to Cuba with then creative director Karl Largerfeld in 2016, Provence for the ‘22 Cruise collection, Monte Carlo for the ‘23 show, and Los Angeles to see the 2024 Cruise lineup (remember Margot Robbie in that bikini top?).
This year, however, Chanel has quite literally doubled the inspiration by showing Cruise in not one, but two glamorous locations. The 2024-25 Cruise collection was shown initially back in May in the French seaside port of Marseille, but just this week it was shown for a second time – this time in Hong Kong.
Taking over the corridors of the Hong Kong Design Institute to commemorate the beginning of Chanel’s three-year partnership with the Institute, A-list guests and friends of the house joined ambassadors Penelope Cruise, G-Dragon, Whitney Peak, Angèle, Caroline de Maigret, Aokbab Chutimon and Hio Miyazawa to watch the latest Cruise collection be recontextualised.
The sports-inspired aesthetic looked as fresh as ever, with models moving effortlessly in walk shorts, racer tanks and hoodies layered under classic tweed outerwear. Jaunty cardigans and bowler hats maintained Chanel’s distinctive cheek, but there was an athletic modernity that underpinned much of the Cruise offering – and looked somehow fitting in the halls of learning.
Guests of the show were treated to a preview of an exhibition of 35 of the Institute’s students work, entitled ‘Imagine an Elsewhere’, supported by Chanel, which will now run until the 31st of December.
