Chanel Sets Sail for Marseille
Now that the fashion calendar has returned to its pre-pandemic pace, brands are eager to traipse around the world to far-flung locations and invite their clientele along for the ride. For Chanel’s cruise 2025 show, the house stayed within the confines of France, but ventured south to the seaside town of Marseille for a show that fused fashion, architecture, and nature together. As one of the largest port cities on the Mediterranean and the second largest city in France (who knew?), it’s attracted people from all walks of life and prides itself on a rich culture and laid-back vibe. Here, art, music, dance, and, yes, fashion, are in constant dialogue, often inspired by the neighboring sea and global influences.
To fête the occasion, photographer Jamie Hawkesworth took to the streets before the show to photograph French model Loli Bahia among Marseille’s architectural highlights, including Le Corbusier’s Cité Radieuse, a 20th-century masterpiece of a living space that redefined the apartment complex as we know it today. Not only does it feature signature Le Corbusier color-blocking and geometric shapes—it contains a shopping mall, daycare center, grocery store, and garden. Chanel creative director Virginie Viard chose the rooftop of Cité Radieuse as the location for the show, and drew inspiration from the shapes of the apartment windows as well as the curvature of the concrete sculptures on display.
Viard looked to what people wear by the sea, which is decidedly more casual than what’s seen in Paris. Hoods and wetsuits were of particular interest to her, as she paired classic Chanel tweed jackets with thin hooded sweatshirts worn underneath, giving the look a sporty update. Cruise is a season for vacation shoppers, and this go-around, Viard went uber-casual with simple one-piece swimsuits in white and black. In terms of footwear, masculine black patent leather loafers and terrycloth platform thong sandals begged to be seen this summer.
Elsewhere, Viard stayed true to the beach theme and looked to patterns of fishnets, waves, and sunspots set against local buildings. A netted shirt featuring gold nautical pieces appeared as a fishnet washed on the shore and dipped in the metal. Wavy block patterns were seen on dresses, kangaroo pockets of hoodies, and sequined skirt suits. Cité Radieuse’s block pattern naturally made an appearance on the sequin trim of mod-style ’60s dresses and flowing tunics. The collection’s color range definitely picked up cues from the venue’s primary hues, save for the finale run of flowing white dresses in linens and crisp cottons. They looked like the models grabbed a tablecloth from a seaside restaurant, wrapped it around their chest, and walked boldly out onto the beach. After all, it’s that carefree attitude that Viard captured so well, countered by mid-century architecture, movement, and grace, that defines the south of France and Marseille.
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