Chanel Cruise 2025/26 Collection

Chanel's New Cruise Collection Blends Timeless Elegance with Modern Innovation

By: Laurin Starr         April 29,2025

Chanel Cruise Collection 2025/2026

CERNOBBIO, Italy—Uhhhh, the power of a visual story!

Against the sun-soaked backdrop of Lake Como, Chanel’s 2025/26 cruise collection took off, epitomizing the luxury of the house while stretching the frontiers of contemporary fashion. As models walked down the catwalk against the picture-perfect backdrop of the Villa d’Este hotel in Italy, the collection oozed classics with surprise modernity thrown in the mix.

Created by Virginie Viard, Chanel’s creative director, this cruise collection reinterprets the codes of the house in a blend of classic tweeds, wispy shapes, and art deco-inspired accessories. Viard’s viewpoint was based on the house’s heritage, a hybrid of easy comfort and couture with looks that are accessible and aspirational. And her offering, while respectful of Chanel’s storied past, brought in provocative prints, vivid color combinations, and unexpected textures, including the famous tweed texture Chanel is known for , underscoring the house’s continuation while honoring its legacy.

Video: @laurinstarr_

Viard, who succeeded Karl Lagerfeld in 2019, says the collection took its cues from the easiness of summer, from the breeziness of the Italian way of life. “I wanted to make something light and airy but full of life — a wardrobe that talks to the present but that holds the elegance that Chanel is known for,” she says.

“Chanel has always been about connecting the past to the future. This collection proves our capability to be inventive while staying true to timeless classics,” said Viard, as models sashayed in filmy, light fabrics printed in bold geometric prints and fringed compositions.

One show guest, the fashion influencer Sophie Leclair, offered her thoughts: “It’s the perfect mix between modern and vintage vibes. “ I just love that Chanel never sacrifices quality to be so fresh.

You would never have guessed looking at the faces, but as the last models sashayed off the runway, the applause was deafening, proof that Chanel’s 2025/26 cruise must have made quite an impression. For Viard, the show was not only a fashion display but also a statement on the house’s legacy and its ongoing power to reshape the future of couture.

Video: @sandrasalibian