Saint Laurent shows are always a true spectacle, and this season is no exception. Anthony Vaccarello brought together an exceptional cast, including Zoë Kravitz, Béatrice Dalle, Gabbriette, Rauw Alejandro, Lennon Gallagher, and even filmmaker David Cronenberg. The show is an immersive experience, where captivating staging meets a palpable, electrifying tension in the air. As one guest mentioned in a video by Loïc Prigent at a previous show, attending a Vaccarello runway is like holding your breath as soon as you enter the room and only releasing it when the final curtain falls.
This collection can be summed up in three words chosen by the creative director himself : menacing, seductive, elegance. Vaccarello brings together two of his favorite figures : Monsieur Saint Laurent himself and Robert Mapplethorpe, the photographer known for his radical aesthetic, where leather, nude bodies, and eroticism collide.
The setting takes place under the dome of the Bourse de Commerce, bathed in a dim, moody light. In the center of the room, a massive chandelier dominates the space. Mapplethorpe's influence is woven throughout the show, sometimes blending with Saint Laurent’s world, other times creating a sharp contrast. From the very first look, the tone is set. A dandy appears, wearing a perfectly tailored suit and a trench coat, but his silhouette is made striking by high leather boots, a direct nod to Mapplethorpe's universe.
Throughout the show, Vaccarello plays with this tension, contrasting the refinement of tailoring with the boldness of leather. He has fun with this clash, saying it’s a look where “you’re respectable on the top, but dirty on the way down.” The collection continues with leather trenches, bomber jackets with broad shoulders, and colorful turtlenecks, each piece exploring volume and material with graphic precision.
By the end of the show, the silhouette evolves. Feathers are added to the coats, slowly transforming the dandy into a true nocturnal bird. A subtle allegory, perhaps, of Monsieur Saint Laurent himself ?
