Why fix what isn’t broken? Why change when you already excel? Sixty years after Yves Saint Laurent first introduced Le Smoking, power suits remain the hallmark of the house. Following a spring season defined by grand, voluminous evening wear, Anthony Vaccarello stripped the collection back to its core.
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Refining the Legacy
He opened with eight dark, bare-chested trouser suits; by the finale, there were fourteen. One could focus on the subtle evolutions: a sloped shoulder borrowed from menswear or the fluid, unlined construction that allowed wool to drape lightly. The styling shifted focus to the hair—slicked back, severe, and pulled into a bun—and to Pat McGrath’s makeup, which drew inspiration from the brand’s advertisements in the ‘70s and ‘80s.
The counterpoint to the sharp tailoring arrived in a series of silicone-covered lace dresses and high-shine rubber coats. Sensuality and structure offer different ways of honoring the body. While not everyone will wear a rubber raincoat, anyone can appreciate the clarity of a designer who knows exactly where their strengths lie and sees no reason to pretend otherwise.
Photos: SAINT LAURENT
Frequently Asked Questions
The main theme of the Saint Laurent FW26 collection is a return to signature house tailoring, emphasizing razor-sharp power suits alongside modern, structured elements.
Anthony Vaccarello designed the collection, stripping back recent experimental volumes to focus purely on refining the traditional, tailored YSL garments and classic masculine silhouettes.
The collection heavily featured traditional wool fabrics for sharp tailored suits, contrasted with experimental high-shine rubber and delicate silicone-covered lace for modern dresses.
The styling honored past eras through severe, slicked-back hair and vintage makeup looks directly inspired by original YSL advertisements from the 1970s and 1980s.
Pat McGrath designed the beauty looks, drawing precise inspiration from classic heritage Saint Laurent promotional advertisements spanning across the bold 1970s and 1980s fashion eras.
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