Babygirl

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.
Don’t forget to follow Design & Culture by Ed on Instagram!

Hey, did you know about my newsletter – Ed’s Dispatch? Click here to subscribe!

Joseph Altuzarra is in his most delicious creative era… ever. Forget collections inspired with sunny, far-fetched destinations or film titles – thematic line-ups that (over)defined Altuzarra for over a decade. The New York-based designer now finds interest in personalities. Real ones. His latest outing, presented in his chic Woolworth Building headquarters, was dedicated to women of the Big Apple. The Lee Radziwills and Sarah Jessica Parkers, the Edie Sedgwicks and Ladies of Madison Avenue. Women of flesh-and-bone, who equally love a proper evening dress with a fringed big hat and a shaggy shearling coat worn as a dress, styled with heels and tights only. But if I had to compare this collection to a fictional persona, I would pick Nicole Kidman’s phenomenal portrayal of Babygirl‘s Romy – a New York businesswoman on a quest of self-discovery.