Histoire d’YSL

There is always a mystery. The eyes are hidden day and night behind aviator-styles sunglasses. The silent, fatal gait, as to barely touch the platform with those sharp heels. The music, with traits of an electronic symphony, suspends the atmosphere inside the great hall of Saint Laurent. A sort of futuristic colossal, a short-circuit with the gait of the models on the runway that evokes the former splendor of monsieur Yves’ fashion shows at the Intercontinental hotel. The corridor platform with a big circle in the middle and huge chandeliers is exaggerated as all the shoulders of the jackets and vests in the collections. Everything is oversized, from bows to the scarves which become trains, giving a feeling of late 1980s and 1990s. «I always liked the Saint Laurent period not of the beginnings, but of when others were doing modern things and he continued with perfect fashion shows with hundreds of pieces», Anthony Vaccarello, creative director of the Kering group’s fashion house, explained to MFF. «I wanted to work on one word, elegance», the designer continued.

«There is no special effect. All the fabrics belong to men’s tailoring, like pinstripes, but there is also a lot of cashmere, silk, and muslin. Everything evokes couture, but there is no couture in the collection. It evokes that very elegant kind of woman». The tailleur-jupe strongly returns, with skirts worn backwards with a slit down the front. They are worn with impalpable tops and jackets that play with the ultra-enlarged dimensions. Masculine and leather jackets, super graphic imprinting tartans and large stoles worn over the shoulders like warrior banners, fastened by large jewels. «No coats, just jackets and skirts. And there is only one dress», Vaccarello continued. «I would like the message to be more and more circumscribed, without doing too many different garments. I do not like collections where there is one trench coat, one outerwear, denim, and the whole wardrobe. We already have the whole wardrobe in the stores. For me, shows are meant to give directions».

Judgment. No smearing, desirable and credible, perhaps not for everyone but loved by all. Anthony Vaccarello’s visual steadiness becomes that plus that season after season confirms the solidity of the Saint Laurent project. The designer once again raises the bar, a warning, throws down the gauntlet to others, but ultimately also to himself. (all rights reserved)