With summery tweeds and poise, Chanel’s Cruise 2025/26 show sails into Singapore at Raffles Hotel

SINGAPORE – The city’s famed humidity was the backdrop for Chanel’s much-anticipated Cruise replica show that took place on the afternoon of Nov 4.

Yet even that could not dull the excitement that permeated the air as guests readied themselves for Singapore’s fashion event of the year. Paper fans and hearts alike were set aflutter in the hour leading up to the presentation of the French luxury brand’s 2025/26 Cruise collection.

Staged at Raffles Hotel, the show – first unveiled on April 29 at the Villa d’Este in Lake Como, Italy – eschewed a classic catwalk for a convivial set-up, where models strutted between tables and plush benches sited around the hotel’s courtyard.

A who’s who of the fashion scene, as well as local and international clients, turned up to ogle 65 models – six of them local – in 65 looks sashay down the runway, reiterating Chanel’s case for dressing up for vacation.

Clients mingled with press in a blur of tweeds, terry, sparkling lurex and lame. The collection itself was a veritable mix of breezy summer whites, nautical ensembles paired with raffia accessories, co-ords, crochet and intricate lace; Chanel’s distinctive large lapels never far behind.

And what is Chanel without its tweed? Reimagined in lighter, summer-appropriate weaves, the tweed sets were brought out in sunset hues and a particularly striking strawberry pink that screamed Barbiecore.

In under 20 minutes, it was all over.

The biggest names of the day were Scottish actress Tilda Swinton, Chinese supermodel Liu Wen and Thai-British actress Rebecca Armstrong, all of whom are Chanel ambassadors.

Local celebrities such as actress Tasha Low and singers Benjamin Kheng and Nathan Hartono attended the first show in the afternoon, while A-listers singers Stefanie Sun and JJ Lin and actress Zoe Tay graced the evening show.

Outside the official fashion show calendar, Cruise collections – often staged in exotic locales – began as a way to offer European clients a wardrobe suitable for winter travel, or to meet the needs of customers in warmer climates.

Founder Gabrielle Chanel is widely credited as the designer who invented the concept of the Cruise show, having first presented in 1919 a small collection of light dresses and knits for clients who frequented seaside resorts.

For those familiar with the original Cruise 25/26 staging in Lake Como, the Singapore rendition might have evoked a sense of deja vu. The replica show opted for a similar live theatre style, where statuesque models wove between cafe tables on the al fresco and guests who were peppered around the hotel, even on the second floor.

While the lucky ones in Italy could catch the catwalk against a backdrop of Lake Como’s rolling hills, the prime spot in Singapore was, perhaps, indoors – where the air-conditioning was.

Gushing over the romanticism of the pieces, Liu found it hard to pick a favourite look, as all the outfits made her want to go on holiday. The vibrant colours and location of Singapore made her feel extra relaxed, she told The Straits Times in Mandarin.

“I feel very fortunate to have had such a long working relationship with Chanel,” said the 37-year-old, who first walked for the brand in 2008 and was named an ambassador in 2017.

“If I had to choose a most memorable experience, it would be attending last year’s Metiers d’art show in Hangzhou, China. It was staged on the West Lake, which was awe-inspiring for the audience.”

Global Chanel ambassador Swinton, a vision in the collection’s gold lurex trouser suit that perfectly matched her trademark shock of blonde hair, described it as “a very Singapore show”.

“It’s completely equatorial; there’s no season attached to it; no time of day. I was looking at every piece thinking you could wear that look at 11am in the morning or 6pm in the evening. It feels very fluid,” she told ST.

No two shows are alike for the actress, who has been an ambassador of the house for 12 years.

“What you have at Chanel is this code, this anchor – it’s not a uniform exactly, but an ethos. I’ve had the privilege of working with now the third designer at Chanel – Karl Lagerfeld, Virginie Viard, the atelier, and now Matthieu (Blazy) – and all of them approach it in a way that expresses their personality; and the code is so strong that it can take it.”

That “forward momentum” that continues to excite her at each show is something Singapore shares with Chanel, added Swinton, who

spoke to local fashion, art and design students at a talk

organised by Chanel in the morning.

“Singapore feels absolutely vibrant and pulsating with life and enthusiasm. It’s that feeling of the next, the future; it feels very forward-looking.”

The Chanel Cruise 2025/26 collection is now available in Chanel boutiques.