This summer, we want to emulate Chanel's Lake Como look with side parts and sun kissed skin

For Chanel’s Cruise 2026 collection, a star-studded guest list touched down at Lake Como’s Villa d’Este to see a wardrobe steeped in White Lotus-level luxury, complete with hotel-suite-ready looks. Yet the true invitation to a Mediterranean summer came from the beauty team backstage. Anthony Turner, lead hair stylist, drafted a single razor-sharp side part on most models, their breeze-brushed lengths reflecting the late-afternoon light bouncing off the lake. Freshly dried after a quick dip rather than drenched in product, the hair read like a contemporary La Dolce Vita postcard of Anita Ekberg stepping out of the Trevi Fountain – an association that lives purely in our cinephile heads, not in Chanel’s show notes. The finish? Unmistakably modern: more sunscreen sheen than Brylcreem slick.

Make-up, devised by Lisa Butler’s team, doubled down on that “just-moored-the-Riva” fraîcheur. In keeping with the aquatic theme, skin was drenched in Chanel’s Hydra Beauty line – a prepping power trio of Micro Liquid Essence, Serum Lèvres and Camellia Water Cream. Next, the complexion was perfected with Les Beiges Water-Fresh Complexion Touch and a veil of Healthy Glow Sheer Powder. Cheeks caught a late-day flush courtesy of two Healthy Golden Glow shades Éclat du Soir or Soleil Couchant, depending on undertone.

Related: Chanel Cruise 2025/26: A cinematic reverie on Lake Como

Eyes remained in the sun-bleached family: rose-gold washed from lash to brow, copper-orange pressed dead-centre for depth, edges blurred until you could barely call it smoke. Lashes were curled and coated black for the only hard line. Brows? Groomed, filled, but never laminated, with a focus on density over rigidity. The finishing touch was the Rouge Coco Flash in Sun Bliss glazed lips the mouthwatering colour of apricot sorbet.

What makes the look trend-critical isn’t the product list (though every step travels well); it’s the equilibrium. The decisive side part delivers fashion-week polish, while the moisturised, sun-lit skin keeps things holiday-ready – a duality that echoes the collection’s mix of disco-charged suits and linen day dresses. So, come July, expect to spot that parted hair on Scandinavian piers and Positano ferries alike. After all, nothing says “European summer” better than shimmering skin and a side-swept fringe catching the breeze.