Anticipation for Chanel’s first collection as creative director Matthieu Blazy is growing in October, but the Parisian giant is showing no signs of slowing down. After hosting a breathtaking Métiers d’Art show on the shores of West Lake in Hangzhou, China late last year, Chanel has set its sights on another body of water: Lake Como, for its Cruise 2025-26 collection.
Held at the majestic Villa d’Este, a former 16th-century royal residence and one of Italy’s most celebrated hotels, the show celebrated Italian joie de vivre and Chanel’s longstanding relationship with the country.
While Chanel is first and foremost a French brand, Italy plays a vital role in the manufacturing of its products – from leather goods to shoes, sunglasses and knitwear. Over the years, Chanel has invested in a range of Italian suppliers and partnered with luxury brand Brunello Cucinelli in 2023 to co-invest in a cashmere manufacturer. Most recently, the brand acquired a 35% stake in Como-based silk manufacturer Mantero.
“I always say that Chanel is half French and half Italian,” Bruno Pavlovsky, Chanel’s president of fashion, said in an interview before the show. “We are a French brand, but for a long time we have done a lot of business in Italy.
In the luxury industry, you don’t have a choice: either in France or in Italy. Today, in terms of production units, we have more units in Italy than in France, and we have more employees working for Chanel fashion in Italy than in France.”
We are not Italian, but we feel at home in Italy – especially in this part of Italy. Shoe manufacturing has disappeared in France, so today our shoes are 100% made in Italy. The tailoring of ready-to-wear is done in France, but the denim and knitwear are made in Italy.
The connection between Italy and Chanel dates back to the days of Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel. The designer first discovered Italy in 1920 when she visited Venice, which later became one of her favorite cities. She was also close to Italian director Luchino Visconti, who is said to have invited her to his villa on Lake Como, not far from Villa d’Este.
Chanel introduced Visconti to French director Jean Renoir, who eventually asked the designer to dress actress Romy Schneider for an episode of Boccaccio 70 (1962), an anthology of four women’s stories.
The chapter starring Schneider, who wears Chanel signature pieces like two-tone heels and pearl necklaces, is one of the favorite films of director and longtime Chanel collaborator Sofia Coppola.
Coppola shot a short film at Villa d’Este to mark the launch of the Cruise 2025-26 collection. The film stars model Ida Heiner, who strolls through the courtyard of the hallowed Renaissance Hotel in a swimsuit paired with accessories from the collection.
Resort pieces in summery white, brightly hued swimsuits paired with matching duster coats, and sheer lace tops embellished with rosettes are some of the highlights of the collection, designed to be a chic wardrobe for a weekend at Lake Como or other fabulous Italian destinations.
Breton tops (a Chanel staple), pea coats, colorful stripes, and a few camel pieces (including one in suede) give the collection a preppy vibe that contrasts with the more glamorous pastel and gold gowns.
Accessories include flat straw hats, also embellished with rosettes, and silk scarves casually wrapped around the head and extending to the ankles of sandals—a nod to Como’s silk industry. Large raffia bags, gladiator sandals and high-heeled mules made for a sophisticated collection that, while not outrageous, was very Chanel and sure to please the brand’s loyal customers.
“There were a lot of surprises for me,” said actress Fala Chen in an interview after the show. “I was expecting a lot of bathing suits jumping into the lake, but actually it was more of an old Hollywood glam vibe, with long dresses that were almost like evening gowns but so smooth and light they could be worn as pajamas.”
While Chanel’s fashion creation studio had been holding its ground until Blazy arrived, the exhibition, full of storytelling and shoppable merchandise, reinforced the brand’s mantra of presenting modern glamour for a new generation of fashion lovers.