CHANEL is set to re-show its Cruise 2025 collection in Hong Kong on November 5, following its initial Cruise 2025 show in Marseille, France. Since 1919, the CHANEL Cruise collection has shone a spotlight on artisans and their craft — and this time, the Maison’s latest Cruise collection will take centre stage once more against the backdrop of the Hong Kong Design Institute (HKDI). HKDI’s futuristic architecture, crafted by Coldefy & Associés Architectes Urbanistes (CAAU), offers a fresh perspective on design and allows us to look at the collection through a different lens.
This marks the first occasion that HKDI has served as a venue for an international fashion brand since its opening in 2010, a delightful surprise for many. Unlike elite institutions or typical tourist attractions, this collaboration between CHANEL and HKDI creates a genuine dialogue about heritage and education, further underscoring the brand’s commitment to supporting rising talents and embracing the cultural zeitgeist of our time.
Hong Kong’s Relationship With Fashion
Located in Tiu Keng Leng, adjacent to the Tseung Kwan O neighbourhood, HKDI lies outside Hong Kong’s traditional tourist hubs. It offers a glimpse into a lesser-seen side of the bustling city. The institute itself reflects the development of the city’s creative industries over the past decade.
As a leading design school in Hong Kong, HKDI specialises in design courses, with fashion and image design being one of its primary departments. The campus features a Fashion Archive housing over a thousand garments, providing extensive learning resources alongside a garment workshop where students can develop concepts and hone essential skills such as cutting and sewing. Historically, Hong Kong was a global textile industry hub from the 1950s to the 1990s, but as many factories relocated to mainland China in the late 1990s, the industry experienced a significant decline. Despite this downturn, preserving craftsmanship amidst globalisation remains a pressing issue in the global fashion landscape. Both CHANEL and HKDI share a vision of fostering heritage and fortifying legacy through education.
In the realm of fashion education, CHANEL has consistently led by example, influencing aesthetics through action. This partnership with HKDI naturally extends the school’s architectural style as an aesthetic expression within the fashion showcase. Notably, HKDI is Hong Kong’s first major facility designed by a French architect. Coldefy & Associés, Architectes Urbanistes (CAAU) was selected from 162 design proposals submitted by 23 countries, with renowned American architect Richard Meier among the international jury. After 18 months of construction, HKDI officially opened for classes in September 2010, the space spanning over 42,000 square meters accommodating up to 4,000 students.
The “Blank Page”
Often compared to Le Corbusier’s iconic Cité Radieuse (the venue in Marseille), HKDI is striking and innovative, constructed from concrete, glass, and steel. Four large glass towers are encircled by X-shaped “diagrid” steel structures, interconnected by a floating platform that evokes the imagery of a “blank page”, symbolising unrestrained creativity. The bold yet minimalist design stands out amidst the surrounding commercial and residential high-rises.
Functionally, HKDI aims to create a flexible and open environment that welcomes not only students and faculty but also the broader community to engage in creative dialogue. Upon entering the campus, visitors are greeted by the building’s base — a giant “urban lounge” where encounters happen and exchanges flow. The podium serves as a communal space and an outdoor gallery where multiple events can be hosted; elevated 7 meters above King Ling Road, it offers breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape.
Another prime vantage point from which to appreciate the building is from above. Floating above the campus towers is an aerial platform housing the library, school administration and other communal spaces, resembling an “aerial city”. HKDI also houses a 60-meter escalator—the longest in Hong Kong—suspended by a three-dimensional steel structure with no supporting columns at its base, earning its nickname “ladder to heaven”. Although the escalator only operates at specific times, it stands as a bold symbol of HKDI’s imaginative spirit.
This May, CHANEL unveiled its Cruise 2025 collection at the MAMO Marseille Modulor atop Cité Radieuse, where the expansive space and concrete structure harmonised with the geometric shapes characterising the collection. This event featured live performances that blended visual art, film, and music—a rich display of culture that almost foreshadowed the restaging of the Cruise collection in a city as vibrant as Hong Kong.
Editor
Inez Chan
