From Lake Como to Raffles Hotel: Chanel’s Cruise 2025/26 show finds a tropical stage in Singapore
Chanel’s Cruise 2025/26 show travelled from Italy’s Villa d’Este to Singapore’s Raffles Hotel, blending heritage with tropical flair.
Chanel brings its Cruise 2025/26 show to Raffles Hotel Singapore, reimagining the Lake Como collection in a new light. (Photo: Chanel)
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On the evening of Nov 4 (Tuesday), guests arrived at Raffles Hotel Singapore for Chanel’s Cruise 2025/26 show. The hotel’s white columns glowed in warm light as the brand presented the same collection first shown six months ago by Lake Como – a reminder that timeless style works anywhere.
First presented in April 2025 at Villa d’Este, the collection unfolded against the backdrop of Italy’s most cinematic lake. Designed by Chanel’s in-house studio, the 69-look wardrobe celebrated the imagination of “hotel life” through floral motifs drawn from the villa’s gardens, shimmering lame recalling water light, and easy silhouettes that balanced nostalgia with ease.
In Singapore, that same spirit found a new accent. Raffles Hotel – another legendary architecture – became a natural sequel to Como’s grand-lakeside narrative.
As models descended the runway, Chanel’s imagined guests appeared once more: women wrapped in silk-satin scarves; trouser suits in supple tweed or gold lurex catching the light; striped lame and flounced taffeta dresses in coral, peach and sea-foam blue echoing the tropical palette outside. Seen through the lens of Singapore’s heat, the clothes took on a new sensuality – lighter, freer, more playful.
‘THE SAME STORY, SEEN IN A DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENT’
For Bruno Pavlovsky, Chanel’s President of Fashion, the decision to bring the Cruise collection to Singapore was as much emotional as strategic.
“Lake Como plus Villa d’Este was the inspiration for the show, and from that, we came to Singapore,” he said. “It’s the same collection with some twists – it’s the same story, seen in a different environment, with different highlights.”
Choosing Raffles Hotel felt instinctive, he added: “It was obvious for us that after Villa d’Este, Raffles Hotel Singapore was the best location to present the collection. Chanel in Singapore – it’s a long story. We started in 1993, so it was quite important for us to continue to write the story between Chanel and Singapore.”
That continuity gives the brand’s Singapore moment a sense of return rather than replication. “The Chanel shows or the Chanel collections can go anywhere,” Pavlovsky concluded. “And this time we are super happy to be here in Singapore.”
BEYOND THE RUNWAY
Earlier that morning, Chanel extended its presence beyond fashion’s usual circles – the maison invited 420 students from Singapore’s art, fashion and design schools to a Chanel Talk held at Capitol Theatre. Moderated by Monocle magazine’s chairman Tyler Brule, the conversation gathered Pavlovsky alongside actress Tilda Swinton, friend of Chanel Margaret Zhang, Vulture’s magazine editor Clifford Loh and writer Amanda Lee Koe to discuss how local creativity can “inspire and shape global imagination” – a theme that resonated deeply with the brand’s decision to restage its Cruise show in Southeast Asia.
A REGIONAL CELEBRATION
When the final look left the runway, the evening transformed into a celebration of music. British singer Raye took the stage with a live performance, followed by Indonesian musician Rio Sidik and Singaporean DJ Nicolette.
In the audience were regional friends of the house and celebrities who embodied Chanel’s cross-continental spirit. Singapore was represented by Stefanie Sun, JJ Lin, Zoe Tay, Rebecca Lim and Tan Kheng Hua, just to name a few. Also in attendance were Chinese model Liu Wen, Taiwanese actress Ann Hsu, Thai stars Aokbab, Gemini, and Baipor, Filipino actress Liza Soberano, as well as Indonesian actresses Putri Marino and Laura Basuki.
WHY SINGAPORE, AND WHY NOW
Chanel’s relationship with Singapore stretches back decades. The city hosted The Little Black Jacket exhibition in 2013, welcomed the brand’s Cruise 2013/14 show, and recently saw the opening of Chanel’s first dedicated shoe boutique at Ion Orchard. Returning in 2025 for its Cruise presentation – 12 years after its last major event here – feels both symbolic and strategic: a nod to Asia’s growing influence and Singapore’s stature as a regional luxury hub.
A SHOW THAT TRAVELS
Ultimately, Chanel’s Cruise 2025/26 presentation in Singapore was less about revisiting a collection than reaffirming a connection. By choosing to restage rather than reinvent, the maison allowed its designs to breathe in a different climate – proof that true style, like true luxury, transcends setting.
