Last May, 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 website served as a becoming backdrop for the assortment, which included the glamorous items you’ll be certain to search out in the well-appointed baggage of a jet-setting lady on vacation in the resort vacation spot: Pink swimsuits with coordinating coverups, breezy blue pant units cinched with chain belts, tiered night robes, quilted 25 luggage, and printed silk scarves. As I later discovered, the scarves that appeared in 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 gaggle of worldwide inventive skills 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, in the actual location the place the Cruise 2025/2026 assortment had appeared simply months earlier than. It was a day to soak in the beautiful vacation spot and see the scarves from the runway up shut. Each of the six scarves introduced in the Chanel Cruise 2025/2026 assortment is a particular reissue from the Mantero archivesresurrecting iconic motifs initially designed by Karl Lagerfeld throughout his tenure as Creative Director for the style home.
(Image credit score: Julia Marino)
Though the silk scarf is a timelessly basic piece, it has lately reemerged as a key accent and cult purchase in the style area—on the runways and road model set alike. For these after iconic scarf prints from previous a long time, Chanel is bringing again a few of its most coveted prints for these particular rereleases. “The reissued scarves from the ’80s and ’90s bring back all that vintage magic I love,” Sabrina Lan shares, “Classic logos, bold prints, and that fearless Chanel energy that never goes out of style.”
(Image credit score: Julia Marino)
From woven chains to interlocking double-Cs to sophisticated florals, the reissued scarves convey a few of Chanel’s most iconic prints again and are tied to a few of the style home’s most impactful moments from previous a long time. “I think of the early ’90s Chanel shows—that bold, Baroque energy with silk scarves tied all around,” says Vicky Montanarireflecting on the archival Chanel moments the place the scarves first appeared. “The prints were iconic with the same gold chains, colors, and attitude. I love how those looks still feel modern today.”
(Image credit score: Julia Marino)
Teatime shortly advanced 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 round the shoulders, tied onto a bag, or common as a belt. “I’ve been loving wearing my scarf classically tied around the neck or as a headscarf on the go,” Christie Tyler shares about how she styled the accent. “I love letting the scarf do the talking with a look, so I like to pair the rest of the outfit down minimally and let the intricate patterns of the scarf do the talking for me.”
(Image 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 particular person sporting it. Draped at the neck, it faucets into a way of ‘80s Left Bank Parisian bourgeois style. Tied under the chin as a headscarf, it recalls the classic elegance of 1950s movie stars. “I love wearing the scarf on my head—it instantly elevates even the simplest outfit and makes it feel effortlessly chic,” Lan shares of her look. “There’s one thing timeless about it. It offers me that Old Hollywood star feeling whereas nonetheless feeling very me. It’s basic, however with a contemporary twist that matches my on a regular basis model.”
(Image credit score: Julia Marino)
The subsequent 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 assortment of archives housed at Mantero. As we stepped inside the doorways of the atelier, we immersed ourselves in the in depth assortment of classic scarf designs and noticed firsthand how they’re handcrafted.
(Image credit score: Julia Marino)
Today, run by the fourth technology of Manteros, it immediately turned clear that the Chanel scarves are revered with ardour, historical past, and a way of savoir-faire in the atelier. “I was immediately struck by how proud everyone was who worked there, from the founder Riccardo Mantero’s great-great granddaughter Lucia, to the archivists, to the CEO and those working in production,” Soul Moninney shared. “You could tell how passionate they were about Mantero’s history and their roles, and that energy was contagious. It felt like all that pride and positivity were woven into their pieces.”
(Image credit score: Julia Marino)
The in depth archives at the headquarters embrace a library of hundreds of Chanel scarves which have been 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 a long time. “We had such a wonderful time being able to comb through all the Chanel archives and look at a tiny fraction of Mantero’s reference library,” Mawhinney shares. “I could have stayed in the archives for hours!”
(Image credit score: Julia Marino)
During the Mantero tour, we discovered about 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 were made before this visit,” shares Tan Suan. “After experiencing the entire process, I learned that the craftsmanship and savoir-faire involve several different techniques, and even the selection of colors for the prints is very complex.”
(Image credit score: Julia Marino)
The course of begins with sourcing silk from the finest producers in China. Then, inventive groups are available for design, which begins in the archives. A print specialist for over 123 yr, Mantero has constructed up an unbelievable 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, hard process—from harvesting the silk from the worm’s cocoons to printing up to thirty colors on the factory line for a single scarf,” Tyler shares. “You realize that there is so much artistry behind every single product and design, from the colors chosen to the end design. Every detail is considered and worked to create the most beautiful product imaginable.”
(Image credit score: Julia Marino)
After studying about the layered, multi-step course of to create the scarves, the subsequent 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. Screen by display screen, layer by layer, and colour by colour, we noticed the scarves come to life earlier than us in the handcrafted course of. “I saw the immense effort behind the birth of each piece. The scarf I was wearing suddenly felt weightier with meaning,” He Huixiang defined after visiting Mantero. “From silk production and design creation to printing stages—each complex step represents the dedication of the artisans and their palpable joy in working for Chanel.”