What happened#
Chanel has announced its Cruise 2024/25 runway will be held in Hong Kong on November 5 2024, five years after the house’s first scheduled show in the SAR was canceled due to political protests.
This February, Dior indefinitely postponed its March catwalk at the site of Hong Kong’s former airport, Kai Tak, reportedly due to "China's economic uncertainties."
The upcoming event will be the second major fashion spectacle to be hosted in the city since Pharrell Williams’ Louis Vuitton Pre-Fall 2024 showcase in Tsim Sha Tsui in November 2023. Serving as a continuation of the Cruise 2024/25 collection’s debut in Marseille on May 2, the presentation will feature the same collection by Chanel creative director Virginie Viard.
The show’s press release alludes to a concept of a traveling exhibition, wherein the Cruise collection embarks on a journey across cosmopolitan centers. Hong Kong, lauded as a “veritable gateway to Asia,” emerges as the ultimate location to connect with the market. This announcement underscores the historical rapport between Chanel and Hong Kong.
The Jing Take#
The decision by Chanel to host its Cruise 2024/2025 show in Hong Kong holds significant implications amid the city’s complex economic landscape. Once ranked as the best Asian performer on Global Language Monitor’s 2019 list of best fashion capitals, Hong Kong has struggled hugely since the Covid-19 pandemic, and the year-long demonstrations against the local government’s introduction of a bill to amend the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance in regard to extradition.
Despite continued private consumption growth, the city has witnessed sluggishness in imports, exports, capital investment, and tourism, with visitor arrivals remaining well below pre-pandemic levels. Against this backdrop, Chanel’s choice to anchor its prestigious event in Hong Kong comprises a vote of confidence in the city’s relevance as a key market despite prevailing economic headwinds.
After all, Asia-Pacific accounts for over half of Chanel’s annual revenue. The decision to showcase the Cruise collection in Hong Kong not only reaffirms Chanel’s commitment to the city, but also highlights its recognition of the pivotal role the SAR plays within the broader East Asian market.
The repeat show in East Asia, following last year’s event in Shenzhen, underscores Chanel’s strategy to cultivate and capitalize on the burgeoning luxury market in the Greater China region, leveraging Hong Kong’s position as a hub.
Moreover, staging the Cruise 2024/2025 show in Hong Kong aligns with the city’s concerted efforts to revitalize its cultural and economic landscape. Against the backdrop of government initiatives aimed at attracting international attention and investment, the event can be seen as a catalyst for rejuvenating Hong Kong’s allure as a premier destination for luxury fashion and global events.
With the show slated for November 5, anticipation mounts as Hong Kong prepares to once again take center stage in the world of high fashion.