For its 2025/26 Cruise collection, Chanel took over one of Italy’s most cinematic locations – Lake Como’s opulent Villa d’Este – for a show that felt more like an old Hollywood summer fantasy than a traditional runway. The result? A collection that read like a love letter to glamour and getting dressed up again.
Chanel has long been a master of the travel-inspired wardrobe, but this season was less about destination dressing and more about the art of vacationing. That is, the ritual of packing beautiful things for beautiful places, of slipping into a flounced pastel dress just to sip a Negroni on the terrace. There was an intentional frivolity at play here – luxury for luxury’s sake, and unapologetically so.
After all, Villa d’Este is no ordinary hotel – it’s a palace on the edge of the lake, known for its Renaissance architecture, manicured gardens, and guestbook of global A-listers. Rather than reinvent the setting, Chanel leant into it with full abandon. The clothes conjured a fantasy of hotel life as theatre: dramatic capes worn over cocktail-ready jumpsuits, taffeta gowns that could swan through corridors or ballrooms, and evening pyjama suits cut for a dancefloor that comes to life after dark.
Sofia Coppola’s teaser film for the show underscored the cinematic mood, while the designs themselves seemed plucked from a dream sequence: shimmering black flared trousers and lamé stripes in hues that mirrored the sun-kissed surroundings, ivory lace suits with Spencer jackets, and petal-soft pastels that matched the Lake Como sky at dusk.
While recent seasons across the industry have leaned toward quiet luxury and soft tailoring, Chanel made a powerful case for dressing up again. The Cruise 2025/26 woman isn’t minimal – she’s maximal with restraint, wearing gold lurex and beaded braid trims like second skin.
There were, of course, nods to classic Cruise codes (pea coats, nautical stripes, silk scarves tied just so), but they never veered into costume. Even a strawberry pink pea coat felt wearable for all seasons thanks to expert styling and the weightlessness of the fabric. Everything had movement, softness, and that elusive Chanel ease.
Even the lush grounds of Villa d’Este found their way into the collection, with wisteria, magnolias, and camellias reimagined as chiffon floral embroidery or delicate beaded motifs. A flared black skirt suit featured floral appliqués that danced in the light, while a white suit with cropped trousers bloomed with understated botanical flair. It was garden party dressing turned high fashion.
Naturally, no Cruise collection is complete without accessories, and Chanel didn’t hold back. Think oversized sunglasses, silk foulards knotted at the wrist or ankle, elbow-length gloves, and boxy minaudières made for slipping into a vintage convertible at a moments notice. Patent leather mules, large poolside totes, and cascades of pearls evoked “the joy of getting dressed up to be noticed.”
Where many luxury brands are grappling with the age of quiet everything, Chanel took a different tack: it reminded us there’s a romance to destination dressing.
The Cruise 2025/26 collection isn’t just about what you wear on holiday – it’s about the state of mind being on holiday conjures. That feeling of slipping into silk or sequins and thinking of nothing but the sun, the sea and where your next cocktail is coming from.
And in the sun-drenched world of Chanel’s Lake Como, that moment never really ends.
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