Chanel’s Cruise 25/26 Collection Will Whisk You To The Riviera Courtesy of Sofia Coppola
A Chanel muse herself, Sofia Coppola
lenses a short film capturing the
spirit of the house’s Cruise 2025/26 show
For Sofia Coppola, “You can be a fantasy version of yourself, or live a life you don’t usually have time for.” And that’s why she’s chosen to craft a cinematic reverie that doubles up as meditation on artful escapism – on the allure of crafting a new glamorous identity for oneself while on holiday. Through her directorial eye, this imagined persona echoes the image of the Chanel woman – clad in the Maison’s Cruise 2025/26 collection – as it exists in the collective imagination: poised, a bit mysterious, and just out of reach.
But although this film has fashion at its heart, it isn’t just about fashion.
Unveiled at the Villa d’Este on Lake Como – once owned by Renaissance elites who considered themselves as worldly aesthetes, it now serves as a stage for Chanel’s modern-day muses. The director pays homage to its historic location with her short film – titled Quintessentially Sofia – following model Ida Heiner as she glides through the storied corridors of the villa with a kind of effortless elegance. She wears pieces from the new capsule, designed by the Chanel Creation Studio ahead of Mathieu Blazy’s much-anticipated debut this October, with house codes being reinterpreted with a vacation-ready twist: featherweight tweeds, diaphanous knits, and wicker flap bags.
The concept of a holiday wardrobe is intrinsically linked to Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel herself. She was one of the first to create a Cruise collection, presenting her first one in 1919 outside the traditional fashion calendar. And here, you see the very essence of what it represents: a seamless blend of elegance and ease.
From Hong Kong to Dubai and Monaco, Chanel has long presented its Cruise shows as cultural dialogues. Beyond its cinematic allure, Lake Como holds particular significance for the Maison as a result of its enduring collaborations with the artisans that hail from the region. It also nods to Coco Chanel’s own travels – she visited the lake in the ’30s with her close friend and legendary filmmaker Luchino Visconti.
Sofia herself was clearly inspired by the effortlessly chic style of Luchino’s on-screen characters – particularly in his 1962 film Il Lavoro. “I love the whole attitude,” Sofia shares. “How he shows something really refined in a casual way.” That dichotomy – of polish and casualness – informs Sofia’s vision of who the Chanel woman is. She’s someone who moves through her world with tasteful nonchalance.
Distinct in Sofia’s direction is her signature female gaze – vicarious rather than voyeuristic. “I put myself in the point of view of the woman discovering the place,” she explains. “I try to make the Chanel woman someone you can relate to (even if she’s a fantasy version) so you can be her, not just look at her.”
Ultimately, the film brings home the message that for Chanel, luxury is a state of mind – an invitation into a dreamscape of your own making.
Imagery Supplied
From Harper’s Bazaar Arabia June 2025 Issue