Chanel Journeys to Monte-Carlo for Energetic Cruise Collection

The French house presented a colorful offering full of reimagined tweeds, cheeky jewelry, and must-have accessories.

Chanel and Monte-Carlo, Monaco have always gone hand in hand. The brand’s founder Gabrielle Chanel owned a villa—’La Pausa’—adjacent to Monaco while the label’s longtime creative Karl Lagerfeld spent the glistening Summers nearby at his residence ‘La Vigie.’ Too, Princess Caroline of Monaco is a perennial muse for the French brand and her daughter—Charlotte Casiraghi—is a brand spokesperson and ambassador. And after all, the brand’s 31 Rue Cambon headquarters is a just short train ride away from the bustling center of the fast-paced Monte-Carlo.

That’s why Chanel Creative Director Virginie Viard chose the always buzzy locale for the label’s Resort 2023 collection, specifically the Monte-Carlo Beach Hotel. “To me, Monaco is a matter of feelings above all. That’s Karl, Caroline, Charlotte,” Virginie Viard said in a statement released to V. “From very early on, I knew we would hold a show there, and more precisely at the Beach Hotel. Besides, Karl was dreaming about it. From this magnificent venue, one can glimpse his villa, La Vigie. I will never forget the times I spent there: terraces and balconies, big umbrellas, baskets of flowers – so much beauty.”

As clouds rolled in overhead, Viard’s punchy ready-to-wear certainly brightened the mood (the water-front setting didn’t hurt either.) Revamping signature house codes, the French designer looked to Chanel’s storied history with the Côte d’Azur as inspiration.

Opening the collection were a trio of jumpsuits imagined in tweed, silk, and terry cloth, all made complete by playful styling like an embroidered ‘No.5’ baseball cap and a sleek, all black racing helmet. Viard then tried her hand at a slew of separates—leather shorts, metallic bomber jackets, embroidered mini skirts—which then transitioned into flowing, maxi dresses designed with frilly laces and prints that merged the sporty aesthetics of Monaco with the DNA of the French house.

Storied Chanel silhouettes—the little black dress, casual suiting, quilted accessories—were reimagined in ways that felt fresh but also remained true to the house’s heritage. Playful paillettes, bubblegum pink tennis racquet holders, and poker chips posing as miniature clutches rounded out Viard’s vision and paid perfect homage to the glitzy, yet over-the-top, energy of Monaco.

“The first time I saw Caroline was on the beach in Monaco” Viard recalls. “She was wearing a draped black dress, very thin tights and heels.” Costume jewelry was abundant throughout, mainly in chunky gold finishes and brightly colored ‘CC’ bracelets, while footwear looked to the silhouettes of the Monte-Carlo ballet and Princess Caroline herself as reference.

“Monaco is inherent to the history of Chanel,” Viard put simply. “We have lived so many happy moments there.”