Chanel Cruise 2026 Ad Campaign

Review of Chanel Cruise 2025/26 Ad Campaign by Photographer Mario Sorrenti with models Alix Bouthors, Ida Heiner and Xu Wei

Chanel’s Cruise 2025/26 campaign, photographed by Mario Sorrenti, is an effortless extension of the collection’s Lake Como debut—a vision of la dolce vita that feels light, cinematic, and freshly alive. With Alix Bouthors, Ida Heiner, and Xu Wei embodying the story, the images unfold like stills from a 1960s Riviera film: part glamour, part ease, and unmistakably Chanel.

Sorrenti, who has long been a master at balancing sensuality and sophistication, captures the collection’s duality beautifully—the morning-after languor of lounging on a Riva boat set against the crisp geometry of the Villa d’Este. Each look tells a story of transition: from tweed coats that double as poolside robes to striped knits that reimagine the sailor uniform with the precision of haute couture. The palette—navy, cream, gold, and black—reflects the oscillation between sun and shadow, casual and ceremonial.

What stands out most here is tempo. Chanel feels faster, freer, more contemporary in motion. There’s an energy that flirts with youthful cool without losing its signature restraint. Sorrenti’s direction turns the lake into a mirror—both literal and metaphorical—where the reflection of legacy meets a refreshed rhythm of modernity.

Accessories add punctuation marks of pop: oversized sunglasses, yellow mini-bags, raffia totes, and mules with unapologetic shine. They make the clothes feel lived-in rather than staged, ready for a weekend that glides from breakfast on the terrace to moonlit cocktails.

As Chanel prepares for Matthieu Blazy’s first campaign at the helm, this feels like an elegant coda to the Viard era—an image of continuity and renewal. There’s no nostalgia here, only the shimmer of what’s next: Chanel on the move, bathed in sun, and gliding toward a faster horizon.