Style Edit: Chanel’s cruise 2024-25 show in Hong Kong included cultural events featuring actors Penélope Cruz, Whitney Peak, Chow Yun-fat and Fala Chen

Nov 25 , 2024

Chanel restaged its Marseille cruise 2024-25 show in Hong Kong. Photo: Handout

Stars from chef ArChan Chan to Olympic swimmer Siobhan Haughey joined Chanel panels moderated by the likes of Tyler Brûlé, founder of Monocle magazine, to discuss film, arts and cultural impact

Chanel has always been interested to tap into brilliant minds, to hear their insights and facilitate conversations about the cultural impact and relevance of art, fashion and cinema. As part of the events around the Chanel cruise 2024-25 fashion show in Hong Kong on November 5, the house hosted a series of talks under the banners Radio Chanel, The Chanel Talk and Hong Kong Frames, exploring nuances of culture, design and cinema.

The Radio Chanel session on November 5 included famous faces from Hong Kong and beyond. Photo: Handout

Hong Kong Frames took place ahead of the November 5 fashion show and was aptly located at Shaw Studios, a legendary complex dedicated to film production. Generations of filmmakers and actors have been inspired by Hong Kong’s cinematic history, and Chanel too has a history of nurturing the art form, so was only to happy to be able to use such an evocative setting. There, critic and journalist Clarence Tsui moderated a talk with Emmanuelle director Audrey Diwan, and model and actress Angela Yuen, who worked together on a short film, Modern Flirt, created especially for Chanel’s Hong Kong show.

Hong Kong Frames took place at Shaw Studios. Photo: Handout

Renowned production designer and film editor William Chang Suk-ping and director and screenwriter Norris Wong also brought their personal experiences and artistic ethos to the conversation.

Topics discussed included the long-standing relationship between the city and cinema, with each guest on the panel relating their experiences creating films in Hong Kong. Guests also delved into the dynamic between legends and a new generation of talent, and how that is shaping contemporary Hong Kong cinema.

Actress Penélope Cruz was one the stars of the silver screen to take part in Hong Kong Frames. Photo: Handout

On the morning of the fashion show at the Hong Kong Design Institute, guests and more than 550 art, fashion and design students from various schools across the city joined The Chanel Talk. Bruno Pavlovsky, president of Chanel Fashion, Chanel ambassador Penélope Cruz, Diwan and Yuen, as well as renowned creatives Margaret Zhang and Willo Perron, shared their thoughts on various cultural topics in a series of conversations chaired by Tyler Brûlé, founder and editor-in-chief of Monocle magazine.

Director Audrey Diwan, and model and actress Angela Yuen, worked together on Modern Flirt, a short film created especially for Chanel’s Hong Kong show. Photo: Handout

While guests discussed everything from Hong Kong’s creative scene to how travel and encounters can inspire artists, Hong Kong Design Institute students were also invited to bring their fresh take to the conversation. Two students, Theo and Keith, were among those who participated in the “Imagine an Elsewhere” exhibition, which showcased 16 collective works by 35 students. They spoke at the talk about their experience of being involved in the project. Guests at the show got a sneak peek of the exhibition supported by Chanel, which will be open to the public at the institution’s gallery space until December 31.