The Culture

Gabrielle Chanel’s Riviera Rebellion: A Summer of Style at Villa Paloma

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by Natalia Bezruk Senior Contributor
July 07, 2025
Gabrielle Chanel’s Riviera Rebellion: A Summer of Style at Villa Paloma

© NMNM-Andrea Rossetti / Héctor Chico

Step inside the golden glow of the 1920s this summer in Monaco, where the New National Museum (NMNM) transforms Villa Paloma into a captivating tribute to the woman who redefined fashion and freedom — Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel.

From 19 June to 5 October 2025, the flagship exhibition “Coco Chanel’s Roaring Twenties” invites visitors to rediscover an era of artistic revolution and seaside elegance. More than 200 rare works — including thirty iconic Chanel garments — are elegantly juxtaposed with masterpieces by modern art legends like Pablo Picasso, Jean Cocteau, Sonia Delaunay, and Kees Van Dongen. The result? A powerful dialogue between fashion and fine art that evokes the creative electricity of the Côte d’Azur a century ago.

Curated by Célia Bernasconi, the exhibit charts Chanel’s groundbreaking journey through three thematic chapters: the rise of outdoor leisure and seaside chic; the influence of Slavic aesthetics and the Ballets Russes; and the birth of what we now call “Riviera style.” Through each section, we see how Gabrielle Chanel drew inspiration from Monaco’s sun-drenched coast and cosmopolitan spirit to craft a vision of the modern woman — free, daring, and unbound by tradition.

Adding a contemporary lens to this retrospective is French artist Chloé Royer, whose thought-provoking series “Of Limbs and Other Things” explores the evolution of femininity and the body through a fresh, modern eye. Her work bridges Chanel’s legacy with today’s artistic sensibilities, proving that the icon’s influence is far from frozen in time.

For the fourth consecutive year, the House of CHANEL proudly partners with the NMNM, reinforcing its deep-rooted bond with the Principality — a place both Gabrielle Chanel and Karl Lagerfeld cherished for its international allure and effortless sophistication.

Whether you’re a lover of haute couture, modern art, or Riviera glamour, this exhibition promises a rare and stylish immersion into a world where innovation, elegance, and independence were stitched into every seam.

 


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Natalia Bezruk

Senior Contributor

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