CHANEL Cruise 2025/26: La Dolce Vita at Villa d’Este
There are few things more transportive than a CHANEL Cruise collection, and the house’s latest offering is a love letter to Italian elegance and leisurely glamour. Presented at the storied Villa d’Este on Lake Como – a jewel of Renaissance architecture and timeless refinement – the Cruise 2025/26 collection is everything I adore about CHANEL.
Inspired by the idea of hotel life and the allure of an idyllic retreat, the collection captures that perfect intersection of ease and opulence. Think flounced taffeta gowns in soft pastels – blush pinks, delicate blues, and warm peaches – that echo the palette of the lake and the villa’s sun – drenched façade. Even the tweeds, that most quintessential of CHANEL codes, feel airy and light, rendered in sunny ochres and gentle citrus tones.
There’s a playful sensuality running through the collection as well. Evening looks shimmer with sequins and lamé, a quiet nod to disco glamour reinterpreted with the house’s signature sophistication. A striped lamé jumpsuit – open-backed and paired with a dramatic cape – stood out as a clear highlight. It’s the kind of piece that moves beautifully and makes an entrance without trying too hard.
I also loved the nod to classic CHANEL silhouettes – ivory suiting, effortless wide-leg trousers, and cropped Spencers – all subtly adorned with embroidery, lacework, or beadwork that spoke to the florals of Villa d’Este’s lush gardens. There’s a sense of thoughtful storytelling in every detail, from the romantic capes to the delicate chiffon blooms.
As always, the accessories are pitch-perfect: oversized black sunglasses, patent mules, minaudières, and silk foulards tied just so – at the neck, the wrist, even the ankle. It’s a styling language I find endlessly inspiring: timeless, but never predictable.
What struck me most, though, was the feeling behind it all. CHANEL Cruise 2025/26 doesn’t just present beautiful clothing – it evokes a mood. One of golden afternoons, languid lake breezes, and the kind of understated glamour that never shouts, only whispers. It’s CHANEL at its most poetic, and a reminder of just how powerful fashion can be when it’s grounded in heritage, yet still dreaming forward.
Photography: via CHANEL
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