Chic Conservatism. Saint Laurent AW25

March 12, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

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).

ED’s SELECTION:

SAINT LAURENT Salome Satin Wedge Sandals

SAINT LAURENT Resin Bracelet

SAINT LAURENT Gold-tone, Resin, Faux Pearl And Crystal Clip Earrings

SAINT LAURENT Smocked Ruffled Silk-crepon Blouse

SAINT LAURENT Jersey Midi Skirt

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Séducteur. Saint Laurent AW25

January 29, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

Yesterday in Paris, a flock of Saint Laurent séducteurs marched down a chandelier-ed runway. These men looked as if they teleported themselves from early 1980s to 2025. Anthony Vaccarello reimagines YSL menswear just the way he does in case of womenswear: via narratives and tropes connected to Yves’ life. A catalog of a 1983 YSL men’s collection which Robert Mapplethorpe photographed, with chiselled features sitting atop double breasted blazers, natty three-piece suits, and ties knotted with a firm hand, was the starting point. Mapplethorpe’s hardcore-leather-dom spirit was all over the wader boots and black trench coats. But another man in Saint Laurent’s life seemed to be omnipresent in this collecion: Helmut Newton and his vision of masculinity, often overlooked when compared to his women. Just look at the broad-shouldered suits that walked the runway, and then at the super-confident Parisians and cold-eyed Berliners captured by Newton for the pages of Vogue Paris.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Nostalgia. Saint Laurent Resort 2025

December 13, 2024 | Design & Culture by Ed

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.

ED’s SELECTION:

Salome Satin Wedge Sandals

Gold-tone And Resin Cuff

Oversized Belted Cotton-twill Trench Coat

Off-the-shoulder Ruffled Cotton-twill Mini Dress

Paisley-print Silk-chiffon Scarf

Cropped Wool Sweater

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Cosplay Chic. Saint Laurent SS25

September 25, 2024 | Design & Culture by Ed

Anthony Vaccarello served a collection that just couldn’t go wrong: 1980s-inspired tailoring and outerwear, checked. Bella Hadid in le smoking, checked. Pinches of Yves’ 1976 Ballets russes collection, checked. The Saint Laurent woman is a walking nostalgia. Especially, when she’s cosplaying Nan Kempner in brocade evening looks. It’s easy to fall in love with what Vaccarello does – he knows fashion theatrics, and certainly knows hot to sell big-time sensuality. But I always wonder if this good-looking time-machine (or irresistible time-trap) makes sense in our contemporary times?

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Femme-hood. Saint Laurent Pre-Fall 2024

July 3, 2024July 2, 2024 | Design & Culture by Ed

It sometimes seems Anthony Vaccarello is more YSL than Yves Saint Laurent ever was. The Belgian designer has formed an immensely razor-sharp image of the contemporary maison, smartly constructed out of Saint Laurent archives and refreshed with modern-day approach to glamour. For pre-fall 2024 – that is now hitting stores – there are plenty of great weathered leather coats, blousons, and belted utility jackets. There are also two absolutely to die for le smokings, particularly the one suit whose tux jacket was faced with lace. But there was also the body-revealing part, one that caused a stir in Vaccarello’s winter 2024 collection we’ve seen in early spring. It was built on sheer stocking dressing, with fake furs casually thrown over it all. The story is here too, emphasized by lingerie-esque pieces and styled with black lace hose with just about everything – such a classically, somewhat naughtily playful Parisian gesture. The boudoir vibe was played up with a slew of gorgeous screen siren satiny long dresses, sinuous little slip dresses, and a new iteration of the jumpsuit, conjured out of a skinny-strapped lace-edged camisole, all of which were variously worn with stacks of chunky bangles and pointy satin-y sculpted shoes. You better don’t mess up with that femme.