In a Cruise State of Mind: The Best of the Cruise 2026 Shows

There’s something innately dreamlike about destination cruise shows. Beyond the postcard-perfect backdrops, they signal the mood of the season ahead, offering a glimpse of what springtime dressing might become through the lenses of fashion’s most storied houses. But this year, amidst a flurry of designer shake-ups and seismic shifts at the top of major houses, Cruise 2026 felt especially loaded with meaning — a mirror to fashion’s future as much as a celebration of its now. From Chanel’s sun-dappled escape on Lake Como and Gucci’s Renaissance reverie in Florence to Louis Vuitton’s poetic staging in Avignon and Dior’s Roman romance, here is our essential guide to Cruise 2026 that served spectacle with a capital S.

Chanel’s Cinematic Getaway to Lake Como

As the fashion world holds its breath for Matthieu Blazy’s debut collection at Chanel this October, the in-house creative studios have been quietly — and confidently — shaping the maison’s narrative. After a year of solo direction, the results are nothing short of luminous.

Set against the spellbinding beauty of Villa d’Este, perched on the shores of Italy’s Lake Como, Chanel’s Cruise 2025/26 collection reads like a love letter to cinematic glamour. It is a celebration of the sheer joy of dressing — not just for oneself, but to be seen, admired, remembered.

On the sun-drenched terrace of the fabled hotel, silhouettes shimmered with strings of pearls, oversized black sunglasses, and opera gloves. Sequins, lamé, taffeta ball gowns, and fluid jumpsuits evoked a bygone era of silver screen elegance, while long capes added a touch of modern drama. There was a sense of ease, yet every look whispered decadence — a collection made for the spotlight.

And the pièce de résistance? A short film directed by none other than Sofia Coppola, the house’s enduring muse and ambassador, captures the spirit of the collection in the golden light of Lake Como.

Gucci’s Grand Homecoming to Florence

Gucci is a house in transition — and one with a flair for dramatic timing. The fashion world was still reeling from the sudden exit of Sabato De Sarno after just three collections when the next chapter was unveiled: Demna, the provocative force behind Balenciaga, is set to take the reins. His debut will come this September in Milan, ushering in a bold new era. But before the curtain rises on that future, Gucci looked to its past — and to its birthplace — with a Cruise 2026 show rooted in legacy.

More than a picturesque backdrop, Florence is Gucci’s origin story. The brand returned not just to Tuscany, but to the very walls of the historic Palazzo Settimanni in the heart of the Oltrarno district — now home to the Gucci archives. This 15th-century building, once a hub for leather artisans and chosen by Guccio Gucci himself in 1953 to house the growing brand’s production, has long been the beating heart of the maison. Today, it stands as a living museum of Gucci’s savoir-faire — and the perfect setting for a show that bridges heritage with reinvention.

Inside, the spectacle unfolded in cinematic fashion. A-listers Paul Mescal, Viola Davis, and local legend Jeff Goldblum took their seats in the ornate confines of the palazzo before the catwalk spilt out onto the surrounding streets, where Gucci employees and local Florentines watched from nearby cafés and terrazze. If a factory reset can be made glamorous, is this Gucci’s own Renaissance reboot? The collection itself offered a greatest-hits remix, but with contemporary verve. The design team sent out jewel-toned brocade shift dresses, navel-grazing kaftans, and plush faux-fur chubbies — unmistakably nodding to Gucci’s golden era of jet-set glamour. One could easily imagine Elizabeth Taylor in full regalia, or Jackie O on the Amalfi Coast. Jodhpur-inspired cuts whispered of the house’s equestrian DNA, while the exaggerated silhouettes — power shoulders, voluminous coats — hinted at Demna’s unmistakable imprint, even before his official arrival. And of course, no Gucci moment is complete without the accessories: oversized sunglasses, bold shell jewellery, and a fresh take on the beloved G-logo belt ensured there was plenty for the fashion faithful to covet. Florence gave Gucci its beginning. In 2026, it may well be giving it a second one.

All Dior Roads Lead to Rome

With Jonathan Anderson now steering Dior Men, speculation is swirling: will he take on womenswear next? Against this backdrop of change, Maria Grazia Chiuri’s Cruise 2026 show in Rome — her beloved native city — felt almost like a whispered farewell. The first woman to ever lead Dior’s creative direction for womenswear hasn’t confirmed an exit, but in the hushed elegance of this show, the fashion world read between the lines.

The setting: the French-style gardens of Villa Albani Torlonia, a place steeped in classical beauty and Roman splendour. The collection: predominantly white, unfolding in a symphony of textures from weighty wools to gossamer-light lace. Chiuri looked to one of her enduring muses — Federico Fellini, and particularly 8½ — as well as the enigmatic Mimì Pecci Blunt, a 20th-century icon of Roman, Parisian and New York society, whose spirit became the portal through which the collection emerged.

Masculine-cut gilets, some with sharp lapels, were paired with sweeping skirts and tails; delicate lace dresses traced the body like whispers, while others bore sculptural bas-relief motifs. Military jackets edged in black, their buttons dark and precise, evoked ecclesiastical formality. In moments, dresses took the form of chasubles — sacred, severe, yet sublimely feminine. Then, a rupture: flashes of velvet in noir and cardinal red, paying homage to the legendary Sorelle Fontana, the Roman couturiers who once dressed Anita Ekberg for La Dolce Vita. A final note of grandeur: a gold velvet gown, absolute in its majesty.

Some of the looks were discreetly marked as haute couture — a clue, perhaps, that Chiuri will forgo the July couture calendar. Editors and clients alike were left wondering: where is Maria Grazia headed next, and what future awaits Dior?

Louis Vuitton’s Sacred Spectacle in Avignon

Pageantry and papal drama are having a moment. With white smoke drifting back into the cultural consciousness — from Vatican intrigue to Conclave on the big screen — Louis Vuitton captured the spirit of the times with gothic grandeur. For Cruise 2026, the maison staged a catwalk at Avignon’s Palais des Papes, the formidable 14th-century fortress that once housed exiled popes. It was the first fashion show ever held within the palace’s austere, stone-clad halls in its 700-year history — a moment of high fashion meeting high church, in a setting that embodied both sacred legacy and theatrical spectacle.

In a gesture of enduring significance, Louis Vuitton will also fund a new architectural lighting scheme to illuminate the palace’s façade after dark — a modern benediction for a centuries-old monument.

“There is something medieval, for sure, but something futuristic too. This is armour, but for now,” Nicolas Ghesquière said backstage. The timing, he noted, wasn’t lost on him: in a year where the papacy has been unusually prominent, from global headlines to the silver screen, the show’s location felt like more than coincidence. “There’s a magnetism to this place, to the idea of believing.”

The collection played with dualities — divine and rebellious, historical and hypermodern. Most looks revolved around short tunic dresses paired with slouchy, weathered boots — somewhere between a knight’s tabard and a Glastonbury-goer’s weekend kit. For evening, glittering metallic jersey gowns with dramatic bishop sleeves channelled equal parts Joan of Arc and Janis Joplin. Call it medieval-core, reimagined for the now.

Amid an industry in perpetual flux, Ghesquière — contracted to Louis Vuitton until 2028 — remains fashion’s quietly enduring visionary. Calm and smiling just moments before the show, he looked ahead to a packed Paris fashion week, which promises an influx of new creative directions. “October will be really exciting,” he said. “Fashion is exploding. Fashion should always be about change.”

Courtesy of brands

Text: Lidia Ageeva