They say the weather is always good in Marseille, France, and guests at the Chanel resort show came dressed accordingly.
Australian actress Phoebe Tonkin rocked up to the Cité Radieuse, the midcentury housing project designed by famed architect Le Corbusier, in black shorts — though she paired them with a chic cardigan. Lily-Rose Depp, meanwhile, bared her midriff in a crop top and miniskirt.
Having monitored the forecast hour by hour, Chanel officials decided to go ahead with plans to stage its first show Thursday on the rooftop of the building, but the skies did not cooperate.
After the show, shivering guests took refuge from the wind and rain in a cluster of hip concept stores and galleries that are part of the public facilities located inside the residence.
There’s even a small hotel, where Chanel set up a temporary studio where brand ambassador Caroline de Maigret was joined by guests including Lily-Rose Depp, French actress Anamaria Vartolomei and Japanese actress Sakura Ando for a live radio broadcast.
“I still am glad that I wore shorts even though it was very, very cold,” Tonkin said as she prepared to go on the air.
Phoebe Tonkin at the Chanel cruise 2025 runway show.
Franck Mura/WWD
Though it was her first time in Marseille, the “Boy Swallows Universe” star took to the Mediterranean port city like a fish to water, likening it to her native Sydney. “It feels very familiar and I’ve been able to go to some really beautiful restaurants, and I’m staying by the sea,” she said.
Tonkin will appear next in a new Australian crime drama series titled “The Dark Lake,” which she is also executive producing. “It’s based in a small town and it’s a mystery. There’s some really beautiful and amazing creatives involved,” she said.
Depp also hopes to give audiences the shivers with the remake of the vampire classic “Nosferatu,” in which she stars opposite Bill Skarsgård. Director Robert Eggers has teased that one scene involves Willem Dafoe, who plays a vampire hunter, and 2,000 live rats.
“There were definitely some moments where I was scared,” Depp confessed. “There’s a lot of elements to the film that I’m excited for you guys to discover that hopefully will spook you and definitely spooked me while we were making it.”
Marion Cotillard at the Chanel cruise 2025 show.
Franck Mura/WWD
Chanel stayed indoors for its second show in the afternoon, attended by Marion Cotillard, Sadie Sink and Tessa Thompson.
That night, it threw an after party on the rooftop of the Museum of Civilizations of Europe and the Mediterranean (Mucem) featuring a performance by SCH, the Marseille rapper known for his cinematic videos featuring his alter-ego Julius.
The city has often been used as backdrop for crime thrillers, from classics such as “The French Connection” to more recent French productions like “BAC Nord.” Reputed for its multicultural residents, football club and drive-by killings, it’s also known as France’s capital of crime fiction.
“I’m not a huge reader of crime novels, but I do appreciate the genre,” mused Charlotte Casiraghi, who hosts literary gatherings on behalf of Chanel.
“There’s something mysterious about Marseille, with all these dark alleys and the fact that it’s a port city. That’s great fuel for fiction, and it’s a place that’s also associated with organized crime, so obviously it’s the perfect backdrop for a thriller,” she added.
Anamaria Vartolomei at the Chanel cruise 2025 show.
Franck Mura/WWD
Vartolomei was getting ready to unveil her next project at the Cannes Film Festival. “Being Maria” is scheduled to premiere out of competition on May 21 in the Cannes Premiere section of the festival.
Vartolomei plays actress Maria Schneider in the film, which delves into her experiences working with Bernardo Bertolucci on his controversial 1972 erotic drama “Last Tango in Paris,” including an infamously graphic rape scene.
The film comes at a time of reckoning for the French film industry, which is having a belated #MeToo moment as actor Gérard Depardieu prepares to stand trial on accusations of sexual assaults on film sets.
“Unfortunately, 50 years later, it resonates with society and current events, and it’s dangerous and somewhat worrying, because we should have evolved well past this,” Vartolomei said.
She said Schneider, who died in 2011, was one of the first to denounce the sexist treatment of actresses, but the topic was considered taboo at the time.
“She spent her life speaking into the void,” the actress said. “I feel that today, people are saying the same sort of things, but victims’ voices are finally being heard.”
