Villa d’Este, a 16th-century hotel nestled in the hills of Lake Como, served as the grand setting for the CHANEL Cruise 2025/26 fashion show. Known for hosting film stars and artists for generations, the villa welcomed a guest list that mirrored its history of cinematic glamour. Among those seated for the open-air presentation were Keira Knightley, Joan Thiele, and Carlotta Gamba – each dressed in CHANEL, each adding to the day’s atmosphere of ease and spectacle.
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Keira Knightley arrived in a crisp white gown punctuated by black satin bows and finished with a pearl belt. The look, pared back but unmistakably CHANEL, echoed the soft formality of the collection itself. Her sharp bob added a contemporary angle to an otherwise romantic silhouette, offering a studied contrast that felt precise without being overdone.
Joan Thiele, the Italian-Colombian musician known for her genre-fluid sound, wore a head-to-toe black look built around a long leather coat, cropped top, and wide trousers. The effect was both controlled and expressive, nodding to the show’s subtle disco references without leaning into nostalgia. Her presence underscored the show’s rhythm – at times cinematic, at times dancefloor-ready.
Carlotta Gamba, one of Italian cinema’s rising names, chose a lace-trimmed black slip dress with carefully placed cut-outs. It was an understated choice that aligned with the show’s late-evening mood. Gamba’s look drew from the same codes that defined the runway: sensual but not loud, precise but not rigid.
Also in attendance were Sofia Coppola, who directed the show’s teaser film, and Lupita Nyong’o, whose presence underscored CHANEL’s connection to contemporary film. Margaret Qualley and Sarah Catherine Hook brought youthful energy, while longtime CHANEL muse Caroline de Maigret joined Italian talents Beatrice Grannò, Gaia Girace, Martina Scrinzi, and Romana Maggiora Vergano – each adding a distinct voice to the villa’s cinematic atmosphere.
The collection explored the pleasures of summer rituals: dressing up, dining outdoors, disappearing behind sunglasses. Models moved through the garden in flounced taffeta dresses, striped lamé jumpsuits, and tweed suits laced with sequins. CHANEL reimagined the textures of hotel life – silk scarves, white trousers, raffia bags, and pearl-studded gloves – for a setting that felt like a scene from a lost Visconti film.
As guests looked on from beneath magnolia trees and stone archways, it became clear that CHANEL wasn’t staging a show in Italy – it was staging an Italian moment. And with names like Knightley, Thiele, and Gamba watching from the front row, the house added another chapter to its ongoing dialogue between cinema and style.
