Chic Conservatism. Saint Laurent AW25

Anthony Vaccarello didn’t open Paris Fashion Week, because he was at the Oscars with the cast of “Emilia Perez”. So this time he closed the week with a Saint Laurent outing that certainly made an impression. I’m still on fence if it’s a good or bad one. His collection was all about the 1980s – and utterly surprised with its chic conservatism. Pretty much no flesh in sight. No skimpy silhouettes. No sheer business. Instead, very boxy dresses, gargantuan coats, and ball dresses (styled with leather blousons). It’s refreshing to see Vaccarello getting disciplined in terms of construction and trying out the unexpected – especially in terms of color palette, this season so exuberant and livid. But there was something certainly unsettling about the YSL woman being so obscured in her high-necks and XXL pads.

Just like Nicole Kidman’s character in Babygirl, the woman envisioned by Vaccarello feels trapped in the world she’s built. She wants to break free and explore herself, but something’s holding her back. Her husband? Family life? Career?

Nevertheless, it’s exciting to see Anthony provoke one’s mind with a collection that isn’t obvious (and definitely not easy to copy for the high-street brands).