OFFERING an ode to summer insouciance and sun-drenched destination dressing, Chanel‘s Cruise 2026 campaign strikes a warmer chord. Lensed by Mario Sorrenti, the newly unveiled imagery offers a sumptuous and escapist extension of the Italian grandeur that the Cruise show demonstrated at Lake Como last May, and at its second edition in Singapore staged earlier this month.
Chanel Cruise 2025/26 Campaign
Set against the storied backdrop of the 16th-century Villa d’Este, overlooking the legendary lake, the show was suffused with cinematic splendour. And fittingly so, for a collection that evokes the work of filmmaker Luchino Visconti (a close friend of Coco Chanel), shown in a venue that has seen cinema titans from Elizabeth Taylor to Greta Garbo sail through its doors.
This season, with Chanel ambassadors Margaret Qualley and Keira Knightley sitting front row in the refuge’s romantic Renaissance gardens and Sofia Coppola directing a short film to accompany the collection, the synergy between setting and clothing was deliberate and designed to captivate. The opening look — an off-duty, ecru bathrobe-esque coat teamed with black oversized sunglasses and a classic Chanel tote — set the tone for the 69-look-strong collection: effortless, undone, out-of-office.
Chanel Cruise 2025/26 Campaign
Plush, feather-light textiles in buoyant gelato hues of pink, purple, and primrose yellow were dramatically contrasted against Chanel’s quintessential black-and-white tweeds, with some iterations sequinned for added pizzazz. Draped swimsuits drew attention, as did Breton striped and tweed sets with woven raffia totes and minaudières to match, satin opera gloves, and gleaming gold lamé coverups to shield the fashion-savvy holidaymaker against late-night zephyrs.
Most impressively, each look was crafted by Chanel’s Creative Studio, which, in the wake of Virginie Viard’s departure, showcased the full breadth of its resourcefulness and imaginative interpretation of the house codes. The result was a tactile, playful, and wonderfully wearable collection – as captured through Sorrenti’s stills – which pleased the eye and kept momentum moving until October, when Matthieu Blazy took the helm with his triumphant designing debut.
Chanel Cruise 2025/26 Campaign
Chanel Cruise 2025/26 Campaign
Taking centre stage in the latest Chanel Cruise campaign is Danish model of the moment, Ida Heiner – who opened the show and starred in its short film – alongside Alix Bouthors and Xu Wei, who brought the looks to life by returning to the sun-dappled, picturesque environs of Lake Como. The resulting campaign leaves an impression: part wanderlust and part desire to embrace the getaway glamour of Chanel Cruise.
by Ella O’Gorman
The Chanel Cruise 2025/26 Collection is available now in Chanel boutiques worldwide.