On 5 November, French luxury fashion house Chanel staged a replica show of its Cruise 2024/25 showcase at the Hong Kong Design Institute (HKDI). The show debuted in Marseille, south of France this May and was reprised in Hong Kong for attendees and celebrities from China, Asia and across the globe. It was also the first time in 18 years since Chanel hosted a fashion show in the city.
The show attracted stars such as South Korean singer G-Dragon, Spanish actress Penélope Cruz, Hong Kong actor Chow Yun-Fat and Hong Kong model and actress Angela Yuen among others. Surprisingly, the official hashtag “Chanel in Hong Kong” (#香奈儿在香港#) only attracted 1.26 million views on Weibo, China’s Twitter equivalent. It might be due to the lack of viral popularity of these international celebrities.
However, some pundits are not at all happy about the show. One thing that many question is the lack of new and Hong Kong-exclusive items which debuted at the reprisal. Also, the minimal decoration and casual arrangement of sitting and viewing areas for guests was found to be far removed from the glamour and luxury Chanel represents. When compared with the 2006 Haute Couture show under Karl Lagerfeld, the latest show comes across as perfunctory in comparison. After all, the 2006 show was staged at the Shaw Studios and was a near 100% replica of the original space inside the Grand Palais in Paris.
It was reported back in July, when the Maison was hosting the Shanghai leg of its major exhibition ‘Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto’ that they were also planning a show in Hangzhou this December. With the show being called “just the beginning” in reference to the partnership between the brand and the institute, Chanel is planning its long term presence in the city, as well as Mainland China.
