Chanel Cruise SS23/24 from Shenzhen Bay MixC’s cinema to via Montenapoleone in Milan. Celebrating Chanel’s womanity and Barbiecore
Los Angeles, the Movie industry and Barbiecore – womanity at the core of Chanel Resort 2023 2024
The list of brands choosing to show in Los Angeles is getting longer. After Gucci, Celine, and Versace, Chanel is also landing in the City of Angels to present its Cruise 2023/24 collection. This is not the first time the double-C brand has chosen Los Angeles as a destination. Karl Lagerfeld had already done so with the Cruise 2007/2008 collection, presented at Hangar 8 at Santa Monica Airport.
Sisteex years later, once again the Los Angeles atmosphere is what the brand seems to need to find new inspiration. Los Angeles is not only the backdrop for the fashion show. Even the clothes that go on stage are a manifestation of the so-called American, or rather, Californian dream. The aesthetics of the collection alternates references to one of the city’s prosperous periods, the 1980s with their optimism. Which we need today-with a use of pink, the color that most of all seems to be defining the trends of the period, in the name of Barbiecore. After all, the world’s most famous doll lives in Malibu itself.
Virginie Viard’s Chanel 2023/24 cruise show at Shenzhen Bay Sports Center – a cinematic exploration of womanity
On November 2nd, Chanel reprised its 2023/24 Cruise show, which initially debuted in Los Angeles last May. The collection, designed by Virginie Viard, was held at the Shenzhen Bay Sports Center.
Like the brand’s previous show held at Paramount Film Studios in Los Angeles, the collection explored the fusion of cinematic glamor, the Californian lifestyle, and the energy of Shenzhen.
In lieu of the collection’s cinematic exploration of womanity, the show featured house ambassadors: Zou Xun and Marion Cotillard. Inspired by Los Angeles, the show offers a blend of nostalgia and modernity. Chanel’s take on 1920s and Thirties Hollywood glamor evokes freedom, versatility, and vitality. Highlights included bold camellia motifs, tweed and sequin ensembles, and shoreline eyewear. All depicting the collection’s resonance with the city’s energy, and its implications for Chanel’s narrative in the Chinese luxury market.
Deploying the many facets of the brand’s universe, the collection featured embroidered swimsuits and rhinestone mini shorts, that gave way to 1960-style suits, casual bathrobes, pajamas, wrap jackets, and evening dresses, worn with 1930-style shoes and disco platform sandals.
Mademoiselle Privé – Chanel’s Relationship with Shenzhen and Mainland China
«As China’s capital of design, innovation, and high technology, this destination, open to the world, creation, and the future, is the latest of the many stopovers made by the Chanel cruise collection», says Chanel house.
Chanel opened its first boutique in Shenzhen in December 2021, in the Nanshan district. The house has fifteen boutiques in China. With an addition of two stores dedicated entirely to shoes located at the SKP mall in Beijing.
This will be the first major event in mainland China since the Mademoiselle Privé exhibition in Shanghai IN 2019. Chanel aimed to create a 360 experience by immersing the audience in a multi-dimensional narrative.
The show’s mise-en-scene was coupled with a transformation of the runway into a night market, where guests indulged in local delicacies such as dim sum, stir-fried noodles, and gua bao, while being treated to a high-energy performance by Nile Rodgers and Chic.
Chanel’s Cinematic Journey – global fashion, local culture, and cinematic inspiration
Chanel’s relationship with cinema played a role in the 2023/24 Cruise show, as the brand has a long-standing association with the film industry. The show’s production value is a testament to Chanel’s ability to deliver an experience that resonates with its audience and consumers.
The collection’s inspiration from the glamor of Hollywood and the cinematic lifestyle of Los Angeles underscored the brand’s ties to the world of cinema. Having dressed movie stars over the years, the house has supported the seventh art for over a century. The show’s emphasis on the fantasy and reality of the city, as well as its influence on the creative process, offered a narrative that explored the intersection of global fashion, local culture, and cinematic inspiration.
Shenzhen Bay MixC’s cinema: Chanel’s forward thinking in the cruise
Chanel’s choice to host a second show in Shenzhen underscores its commitment to the region, while also shedding light on the brand’s strategic focus on China, amidst market volatility. The Cruise event featured a three-day short film screening and talks at Shenzhen Bay MixC’s cinema. The first talk was the day before the show at the Dolby Theatre , to celebrate Chanel’s relationship with cinema. Director and house ambassador, Audrey Diwan was present, as well as directors; Zhang Dalei and Zihan Geng. Hosted by journalist, and producer Chen Luyu, the talk touched on the diversity and allure of women on screen, as well as how cinema can connect us, and its ability to transform the way we see and look at the world.
The second talk hosted 170 students from fashion, art, design, and management schools in Shenzhen who were invited to listen to the president of Chanel Fashion, Bruno Pavlosky.
A live painting performance was also held on the third and fourth of November by artist André, the designer of the show posters for both the Los Angeles, and Shenzhen shows. Open to the public, at the Esplanade, Schezhen’s emblematic mall.
Chanel’s Climb – Via Montenapoleone in Milan
The brand’s recent opening on Via Montenapoleone in Milan marks an expansion for the brand. As it establishes its presence in a core center of global shopping destinations. The move to Via Montenapoleone reflects Chanel’s strategic focus on key global fashion capitals and its commitment to offering a retail experience to its clientele.
Chanel’s choice to stage its first mainland China runway show in Shenzhen, alongside the rollout of its appointment-only Salons Privés concept in the region, reflects the brand’s intent to forge connections with Chinese luxury consumers in the post-lockdown era.
The brand’s emphasis on discretion and the creation of boutique concepts, such as the Chanel Salon, further underscores its commitment to providing a personalized luxury retail experience in China.
Overall, Chanel’s expansion in China, coupled with its decision to showcase its Cruise 2024 collection in Shenzhen, demonstrates its strategic focus on the dynamic and evolving Chinese market.
Photography Rita Lino, styling Ina Witzel
The editorial, shot by Rita Lino for the Chanel Resort 2023 and styled by Ina Witzel. The inspiration keeps digging into the realm cinema, and the movie industry. As well as the collection shown in Shenzhen, China.
Photographer: Rita Lino @rita_lino
Stylist: Ina Witzel @inawizzle represented by @schierkeartists
Casting: Chisom Abuba / White Casting @whitecasting
Model: Stephanie Quezada @stephanieequezada / @premium_models
Hair: Sofien Semmache @sofien.hair
Make Up: Victoria Reuter @victoriareutermua using Mac Cosmetics
Set Design: Coline Robert @colinebrune
Photographer assistant: Lea Mair @xvelrivm
Iris Stigell
