Legs Only. Saint Laurent AW18

March 2, 2018March 4, 2018 | Design & Culture by Ed

What was expected to be Paris fashion week’s hottest ticket (especially, noting the last season’s fashion galore under the Eiffel Tower) resulted in a… very boring collection. I actually thought that Anthony Vaccarello is the right man for Saint Laurent, until I saw that tedious line-up of extremely short shorts, velvet blazers and all-black (or floral) mini-dresses. Was it a Hedi Slimane ‘appreciation’ collection? Well, that kind of style still sells best and resonates most easily with the current client. It really feels as if the important guys behind Saint Laurent cut the budget this season, as well. Other than the models’ long, long legs, Vaccarello’s autumn-winter 2018 collection has nothing much to talk about.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Laid Back. Saint Laurent Resort 2018

January 2, 2018March 2, 2018 | Design & Culture by Ed

With empty champagne bottles already in the bin and batteries (hopefully) recharged, here we are in 2018! And the first post of the year goes to Anthony Vaccarello‘s resort 2018 collection for Saint Laurent. The look-book, starring Lexi Boling and Hiandra Martinez, is a mix of all those New Year feels. From one side, it’s about glamorous, party dresses and boots covered with feathers. But from the other, it’s just the right amount of laid-back chic: denim, suede and over-sized fur coats. Vaccarello, who does contemporary Yves Saint Laurent with grace, knows that every great party demands a day, or two, of naps and looking ‘casual’.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Grandiose. Saint Laurent SS18

September 27, 2017September 27, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

The passing of Pierre Bérge, Yves Saint Laurent’s partner in private and business life, wasn’t meant to be reflected as a mourning in Anthony Vaccarello‘s third collection for Saint Laurent. Rather, the spring-summer 2018 collection was a celebration of the ‘l’amour fou’, the crazy love that the two shared. And that was a show that matches one word: grandiose!

From what should I start? The venue was an open-air platform situated in the most precious viewpoint in the French capital – yes, the twinkling Eiffel Tower was the runway’s backdrop! THAT’S PARIS, and Vaccarello loves to highlight that Saint Laurent is the most Parisian label you can think of, in terms of style and its faces (for Yves that was Catherine Deneuve; for Anthony it’s Charlotte Gainsbourg). Second, the collection with an impression that was just as strong as of the venue. It was divided in three parts, the women’s ready-to-wear, menswear and ‘modern-day’ couture. The first part was very lace-y, very bohème and Courtney Love / Lenny Kravitz-cool. In other words, that’s what you see a Parisienne wear on the streets, no bra, just pure confidence. Menswear was simple and chic. However, the couture-ish part was my favourite. What a contemporary ode to Yves and his memorable appreciation for the ‘custom-made’. Puff skirts and very, very mini-dresses of huge volumes (one of them was so short that the model’s panties were visible – they were elegantly embellished with a rhinestone Eiffel Tower). Use of feathers, that referred to YSL’s autumn-winter 1987 and his costumes for Zizi Jeanmarie, was killer. Can’t get enough of all these boas, feather-y shoulders and thigh-high boots covered in plumage. That was so over-the-top. A fashion moment I anticipated so much, but thought will not happen in this decade. With his best collection up-to-date, Vaccarello really proves that Saint Laurent is the perfect place for him. Bravo.