Final Could, Keira Knightley, Sofia Coppola, Lupita Nyong’o, and members of the style set sat on the sun-drenched terrace at Villa d’Este in Lake Como, the visitors of Chanel because it staged its Cruise 2025/2026 runway present in Italy. The positioning served as a becoming backdrop for the gathering, which included the glamorous items you’d be certain to search out within the well-appointed baggage of a jet-setting lady on vacation within the resort vacation spot: Pink swimsuits with coordinating coverups, breezy blue pant units cinched with chain belts, tiered night robes, quilted 25 baggage, and printed silk scarves. As I later discovered, the scarves that appeared within the assortment have a deeper connection to the locale as they’re crafted by the Mantero silk producer from the area—one thing I found when visiting Lake Como with Chanel alongside a bunch of world inventive abilities this October.
After touchdown at Malpensa airport, we made the picturesque drive from Milan to Lake Como and pulled via the entryway of the inimitable Villa d’Este. Upon arrival, we sat down for lakeside teatime on the veranda, within the precise location the place the Cruise 2025/2026 assortment had appeared simply months earlier than. It was a day to soak within the beautiful vacation spot and see the scarves from the runway up shut. Every of the six scarves introduced within the Chanel Cruise 2025/2026 assortment is a particular reissue from the Mantero archives, resurrecting iconic motifs initially designed by Karl Lagerfeld throughout his tenure as Inventive Director for the style home.
(Picture credit score: Julia Marino)
Although the silk scarf is a timelessly basic piece, it has not too long ago reemerged as a key accent and cult purchase within the style area—on the runways and avenue model set alike. For these after iconic scarf prints from previous many years, Chanel is bringing again a few of its most coveted prints for these particular rereleases. “The reissued scarves from the ’80s and ’90s deliver again all that classic magic I really like,” Sabrina Lan shares, “Basic logos, daring prints, and that fearless Chanel power that by no means goes out of fashion.”
(Picture credit score: Julia Marino)
From woven chains to interlocking double-Cs to subtle florals, the reissued scarves deliver a few of Chanel’s most iconic prints again and are tied to a number of the style home’s most impactful moments from previous many years. “I consider the early ’90s Chanel exhibits—that daring, Baroque power with silk scarves tied throughout,” says Vicky Montanari, reflecting on the archival Chanel moments the place the scarves first appeared. “The prints have been iconic with the identical gold chains, colours, and angle. I really like how these seems nonetheless really feel trendy at this time.”
(Picture credit score: Julia Marino)
Teatime shortly developed right into a second of dress-up with the scarves. From individual to individual, they have been styled in creative methods, whether or not folded right into a timeless headband, draped across the shoulders, tied onto a bag, or usual as a belt. “I have been loving sporting my scarf classically tied across the neck or as a scarf on the go,” Christie Tyler shares about how she styled the accent. “I really like letting the headscarf do the speaking with a glance, so I prefer to pair the remainder of the outfit down minimally and let the intricate patterns of the headscarf do the speaking for me.”
(Picture credit score: Julia Marino)
The fantastic thing about the satin scarf is in its versatility, in addition to the way it displays the model of the individual sporting it. Draped on the neck, it faucets into a way of ‘80s Left Financial institution Parisian bourgeois model. Tied beneath the chin as a scarf, it remembers the basic class of Nineteen Fifties film stars. “I really like sporting the headscarf on my head—it immediately elevates even the only outfit and makes it really feel effortlessly stylish,” Lan shares of her look. “There’s one thing timeless about it. It provides me that Previous Hollywood star feeling whereas nonetheless feeling very me. It’s basic, however with a contemporary twist that matches my on a regular basis model.”
(Picture credit score: Julia Marino)
The following day, we got particular entry to Mantero, the specialty silk-maker established in Como in 1902, which has been collaborating with Chanel since 1973. As companions for over half a century, the collaborative historical past is as wealthy as the gathering of archives housed at Mantero. As we stepped contained in the doorways of the atelier, we immersed ourselves within the in depth assortment of classic scarf designs and noticed firsthand how they’re handcrafted.
(Picture credit score: Julia Marino)
Right now, run by the fourth technology of Manteros, it immediately grew to become clear that the Chanel scarves are revered with ardour, historical past, and a way of savoir-faire within the atelier. “I used to be instantly struck by how proud everybody was who labored there, from the founder Riccardo Mantero’s great-great granddaughter Lucia, to the archivists, to the CEO and people working in manufacturing,” Moya Mawhinney shared. “You could possibly inform how passionate they have been about Mantero’s historical past and their roles, and that power was contagious. It felt like all that pleasure and positivity have been woven into their items.”
(Picture credit score: Julia Marino)
The in depth archives on the headquarters embody a library of 1000’s of Chanel scarves which were designed by the style home for over fifty years. As we walked into the archives, rows and rows showcased the meticulous catalog of scarves all through the many years. “We had such a beautiful time having the ability to comb via all of the Chanel archives and take a look at a tiny fraction of Mantero’s reference library,” Mawhinney shares. “I may have stayed within the archives for hours!”
(Picture credit score: Julia Marino)
Throughout the Mantero tour, we discovered concerning the course of concerned in creating the scarves—a standard methodology demonstrating distinctive craftsmanship, which has been honed for over a century. “I had no understanding of how scarves have been made earlier than this go to,” shares Tan Suan. “After experiencing the whole course of, I discovered that the craftsmanship and savoir-faire contain a number of totally different strategies, and even the collection of colours for the prints could be very complicated.”
(Picture credit score: Julia Marino)
The method begins with sourcing silk from the very best producers in China. Then, inventive groups are available in for design, which begins within the archives. A print specialist for over 123 12 months, Mantero has constructed up an unimaginable archive with over 200,000 objects, together with vintage books, uncommon kimonos, printed materials, and extra that function factors of inspiration. After the designs are created and colours are chosen, the scarves are then printed. “Silk is such an intricate, exhausting course of—from harvesting the silk from the worm’s cocoons to printing as much as thirty colours on the manufacturing unit line for a single scarf,” Tyler shares. “You understand that there’s a lot artistry behind each single product and design, from the colours chosen to the top design. Each element is taken into account and labored to create essentially the most lovely product possible.”
(Picture credit score: Julia Marino)
After studying concerning the layered, multi-step course of to create the scarves, the following leg of the tour concerned an outfit change. We slipped into the Mantero uniforms—good navy blue lab coats—as our group joined a workshop to screenprint the scarves firsthand. Display by display screen, layer by layer, and shade by shade, we noticed the scarves come to life earlier than us within the handcrafted course of. “I noticed the immense effort behind the start of every piece. The headband I used to be sporting immediately felt weightier with that means,” He Huixiang defined after visiting Mantero. “From silk manufacturing and design creation to printing phases—every complicated step represents the dedication of the artisans and their palpable pleasure in working for Chanel.”
