Around 2,000 guests, including Chanel ambassadors G-Dragon, Penélope Cruz, and Angèle, gathered in Hong Kong on Tuesday for a replica runway show of the brand’s Cruise 2025 collection. Originally unveiled in Marseille in May, the collection was the final one designed under Virginie Viard, who unexpectedly left Chanel in June. While rumors continue about her successor, Chanel has not yet announced when the new creative director will be revealed.
The French luxury house’s upcoming collections, including Métiers d’Art in Hangzhou, the January couture collection, and the Lake Como cruise show, will be overseen by Chanel’s in-house team. As speculation mounts over the next designer, Bruno Pavlovsky, president of fashion and president of Chanel SAS, emphasized the importance of selecting the right person for the role. “It’s about working with over 2 million clients and more than 100,000 top clients worldwide. We need someone with power,” he stated. “There aren’t many people with the ability to do this, and brands like ours also have very strong legal teams.”
Turning to the state of the Chinese luxury market, which has been struggling with a slowdown, Pavlovsky described the current economic downturn as a “normal crisis.” While acknowledging that the situation affects purchasing power, he remains optimistic. “We’ve seen similar downturns before, and what matters is that as a brand, we continue to create extraordinary experiences that inspire our clients,” he added.
Pavlovsky also stressed the importance of engaging with the next generation of creators, which was one reason for holding the show in Hong Kong. “For Chanel, this is a strong signal of how important Hong Kong is to us,” he said. With 10 fashion boutiques, Hong Kong is one of the few cities where Chanel has such a high concentration of stores. The brand first entered the market in 1979 with a boutique at the Peninsula hotel.
The company’s confidence in the Hong Kong market is reflected in its recent investment, including a major lease for a two-story, 8,600-square-foot store in Causeway Bay. This space is currently hosting “The Magical House of Chanel,” a beauty pop-up.
A market visit during October’s Golden Week indicated a 40% increase in luxury traffic in Hong Kong compared to the May Labor Day holiday. Top brands, including Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Gucci, and Hermès, led the way. “Hong Kong has become more attractive due to the renminbi strengthening against the Hong Kong dollar, while weakening against the yen,” noted a Bernstein report.
Tuesday’s runway show took place on the seventh and eighth floors of the Hong Kong Design Institute, showcasing a collection inspired by coastal themes. Key looks included dresses with sea creature motifs, swimsuits with Chanel bows, and tweed jackets with diving hoods. The collection was immediately available in Hong Kong stores and will be gradually released worldwide. Pavlovsky mentioned, “We’ll start changing the boutique’s mood tonight.”
Following the show, guests were shuttled to Shaw Studios, a landmark film production company established in the 1930s that helped cement Hong Kong’s reputation as the “Hollywood of the East.” The venue also hosted Chanel’s first Hong Kong runway show in 2006.
The post-show performance featured Angèle, Sébastien Tellier, Marseille-based dance company (La)Horde, actress Natalie Hsu, singer Kalai, and DJ Yeti Out. Additionally, Chanel organized talks showcasing its strong ties with Hong Kong’s creative community. The day before the show, Chanel hosted discussions about Hong Kong cinema at Shaw Studios, featuring figures like film editor William Chang, French director Audrey Diwan, actor Angela Yuen, and director Norris Wong.
The following morning, Chanel’s “Student Day” at the Hong Kong Design Institute featured panels with Pavlovsky, Cruz, Margaret Zhang, and others.
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