Mischievous, horny, kinky – and chic – this is the ultimate Saint Laurent man as seen by Anthony Vaccarello. He’s the kind of guy Yves would have fallen in love with on a night out at Le Sept. He also makes women go crazy – in the same charged, homoerotic way “Heated Rivalry” does. Inspired by James Baldwin’s seminal novel “Giovanni’s Room“, Vaccarello was intrigued by the inner tension experienced by its protagonist. “I like the idea of being in contraction between something very conventional and something very sensual.” That tension was omnipresent in his autumn–winter 2026 collection, from printed silk ascots peeking out from the collars of crisp shirts to semi-sheer vinyl trench coats appearing in the latter half of the lineup. Stretch patent boots extending up the thighs? Corrado De Biase, Saint Laurent’s design director of shoes, knows exactly what he’s doing – and how to get the boys talking.

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.