Nostalgia. Saint Laurent Resort 2025

First, pardon my silence for those good couple of days… had a quite rough time, but things are looking up! I’m back.

Second, damn, what a week in fashion. Honestly, I feel overstimulated with all the news and (r)evolutions. Julian Klausner’s appointment at Dries Van Noten could call it a day. But then, John Galliano officially announced his departure from Margiela (but that was no news to insiders). And yesterday, within mere two hours, Louise Trotter parted ways with Carven (this brand will never know peace) to go to Bottega Veneta, from which in the very same minute Matthieu Blazy left to go to Chanel. Did I miss something? I probably did. 2024 leaves fashion with a bang. 2025 will be all about new beginnings. But when there are too many new beginnings, do you feel that excited? Also, I feel like such thing as customer’s confidence in a brand they felt devoted to and aligned with is dead when so many key positions are changed that abruptly. Good for Trotter, I’m happy she’s finally acknowledged by the industry after all these years of being an underrated designer-star, but I think the now-existing Carven client must feel very confused and puzzled.

Third, in those couple of heavy days, I took note of Anthony Vaccarello’s resort 2025 collection for Saint Laurent. At a first glance, all seems great: bold, bright lookbook shot by Katja Rahwles; free-spirited maxi-dresses; in general, a sort of boho optimism is back (again). But then I wonder: is it enough? Is it enough to just go back to the same images of Loulou De La Falaise in her nomad-inspired paisley dresses and heavy beaded necklaces? From one side you can be totally satisfied with this Vaccarello undemanding offering. But from another, I feel like he’s a living proof that nostalgia isn’t a good thing for fashion. You just can’t look back at the past without applying any contemporary reassessment. Plus, this collection packed with ruffled dresses and resort-ready skirts could easily be something Zara would photograph very nicely with Steven Meisel. Not that the quality would be the same. Although when I see how all the mesh stuff “hangs” in the YSL stores… I’m not that sure. By the way, there was a wild rumor a couple of months ago that Anthony is headed to Zara, so who knows what else the end of the year will bring!

The morale: designers like Vaccarello should dial down on their vintage obsessions-slash-manias and get back to the modern day. It really isn’t that boring and uninspiring.