Chanel showed its 2026/27 cruise collection in Sydney on 5 November 2026. The clothes first appeared on a runway in Biarritz on 28 April. It is the fashion house's first show in Australia, and a second showing of the same clothes, not a new collection.
Guests included Nicole Kidman, Margot Robbie, Kylie Minogue, Cathy Freeman and film director Baz Luhrmann. The show was held at a venue called The Cutaway in Barangaroo, and there were two shows that day. Another description places the set in Barangaroo Reserve and says it had five linked art deco-style rooms made with natural materials such as sandstone.
The cruise collection, also called resort, comes out between the main seasonal ones. It was first made for rich clients who travelled to the sun in winter, when shops had no summer clothes, swimwear or holiday wardrobe. It is shown outside the official fashion weeks, so fashion houses pick their own time and city.
That lets them reach new markets and climates and work with local media and celebrities. The clothes stay in shops from November to April. The shows cost millions of dollars, which critics call a drawback. Other analysts suspect such shows keep media attention on the big fashion houses, while the scenery does much of the work.
Biarritz was chosen because of the house's history. Gabrielle Chanel opened her first fashion house outside Paris there in 1915, at the Villa Larralde. The collection is the first cruise collection by Matthieu Blazy, the new creative director, and the show was held at the Casino Municipal.
Blazy says that, away from Paris, Chanel found in Biarritz "different ways of being and seeing, of moving and freedom".
The sea theme shows in sailor-style striped tops, in sailor outfits moved from the beach to evening wear, and in shell-shaped earrings. Alongside them are everyday pieces: washed cotton suits, light French work jackets and washed denim. Raffia skirts and silk scarves add to the beach look.
The last looks use sequins in coral, gold and sea-glass colours. Two models closed the show as mermaids in flowing dresses, with sequins that imitate fish scales. The first dress is the little black dress, which Blazy calls "the original revenge dress".
Chanel has staged such repeat shows before in Singapore, Dubai, Miami and Shenzhen, aimed at VIP clients and media. Sydney was also chosen because, like Biarritz, it has a coastline, a surf culture and a creative scene.
Australia is a market where the house wants to grow. "We feel it is time for Chanel to speed up its growth in Australia," said Bruno Pavlovsky, president of the house's fashion division. In 2025 Chanel opened its biggest store in Australia, on Market Street in Sydney, designed by Peter Marino. Kidman, Robbie and Jacob Elordi represent the house. Pavlovsky said Australia was ready for an event like this.
The show coincides with the opening of the new flagship store in Sydney, and a renovated store in Melbourne is due to open later in November. The house's next showing is the 2027 Métiers d'Art collection in Rome on 2 December 2026.