Chanel Brings Marseille to Hong Kong with Their Cruise 2025 Show

Chanel’s Cruise 2025 collection arrives in Hong Kong, embracing the city’s dynamic spirit and architectural prowess with a maritime-inspired showcase that encapsulates the timeless allure of the French maison. A celebration of the seafaring lifestyle, the collection dazzles with an array of design elements, from sleek diving caps and shimmering embroidery to straw boater hats, platform flip-flops, and sequined evening jackets. The collection’s nod to nautical chic feels like an echo of Gabrielle Chanel’s own revolutionary spirit, mirroring the innovative ethos of legendary architect Le Corbusier.

Drawing a striking parallel between the iconic designer and the visionary architect, the choice of venue was no coincidence. The Hong Kong Design Institute (HKDI), with its avant-garde silhouette crafted by Coldefy & Associés Architectes Urbanistes (CAAU), serves as a fitting stage. The institute’s structure—four towering glass pillars intertwined with steel, anchored by a floating platform that evokes a “blank page”—calls to mind Le Corbusier’s modernist ideals, much like his iconic Cité Radieuse in Marseille, which hosted the collection’s initial debut in the South of France.

The Cruise 2025 collection captures the essence of holiday glamour, offering a refined wardrobe that seamlessly transitions from sun-drenched beaches to elegant evening affairs. Highlights include beachwear staples like oversized crochet cardigans, worn as chic cover-ups, paired with wedge flip-flops and boater-style straw hats—a nod to classic nautical aesthetics. Leather tank tops and sangallo suits bring a modern edge, while the pièce de résistance is a robe manteau: a bathrobe-inspired coat dress featuring plush sponge details, elevating casual comfort into high fashion.

Long, flowing cotton dresses appear as the perfect attire for sunset aperitifs, complemented by Chanel’s signature jewellery—a cascade of pearls, charm bracelets, and Robespierre-style bows adorning delicate blouses. A standout accessory? The double C emblem, cast in metal and suspended on a chain, designed not as a bag but as a statement piece, adding a touch of bold sophistication. All these pieces have seaside references that makes its ties to Marseille from fish motifs and mother of pearl details to scuba inspired dresses and footwear.

No Chanel collection would be complete without the iconic tweed. For Cruise 2025, it comes alive in vivid shades of green and yellow, as well as classic black and white, adorned with oversized necklaces that mimic the texture of fishing nets. The colours are inspired directly from Cité Radieuse in Marseille where the show was first held. The vibrant, primary colours evoke a sense of carefree youthfulness into the Maison's tweed pieces, effortlessly threading the balance between formal and casual. In the same vein, some tweed jackets feature a detachable hood, adding that laid-back appeal as well as versatility. These statement pieces are embellished with intricate charms shaped like starfish and sea creatures, infusing a playful, oceanic spirit into the collection.

Chanel also explores translucent textures, showcasing metallic leather jackets and shorts that gleam like the ocean at dawn. Completing the lineup are bucket bags and sporty hoodies, blending luxury with a laid-back, coastal vibe. It’s a celebration of the sea, a nod to timeless maritime traditions, and a modern reinterpretation of vacation dressing—quintessentially Chanel, effortlessly chic.