Presented under a darkening sky at West Lake, Chanel’s latest Pre-Fall 2025 channels a quiet current of discovery and exchange between the ateliers of Paris and the rhythms of Hangzhou. It’s an elegant nod to Gabrielle Chanel’s love of Coromandel screens—those lacquered marvels that once lined her walls—and a reminder that the brand is as comfortable in modern tech hubs as it is in storied European salons. Here, on the edge of shimmering water, Chanel sharpens its global narrative, following its celebrated Dakar presentation and ongoing expansions throughout Asia.
In this collection, the house moves through a world that blurs past and present. Tilda Swinton, Leah Dou, and Xin Zhilei emerge on film under the vision of Wim Wenders, each figure an ambassador of the moment, each wearing pieces that whisper of old routes and new frontiers. Tweeds, satin, and velvet glide by in sleek forms, while subtle embroideries—camellia, lotus, little flowers—catch the eye without screaming for it. This quiet conversation between textile and tailoring plays out in silhouettes that hint at voyages: duffle coats with frogging made by Paloma, white satin linings, phosphorescent touches by Montex. The layering feels assured, not fussy—traveling suits, knit jumpsuits, envelope-like pockets that suggest letters waiting to be sent.
The palette drifts between tones of jade green and sky blue, and then dips toward black and brown, as if marking the transition from day to dusk. Denim, that universal language, nods to rippling lake water. Mid-calf boots by Massaro are neither nostalgic nor forward-facing; they simply fit the moment, as do the reflective embroideries by Lesage, the hats from Maison Michel, and the quiet swirl of pleats and ruffles by Lemarié and Lognon. What emerges is a subtle kind of luxury—rare craft made modern, showing that Chanel’s expansion into places like Hangzhou isn’t about spectacle, but about broadening its global vocabulary. The result is a collection that doesn’t shout, but hums, and in that hum you sense a world of stories waiting to unfold.
