The fashion crowd landed in Paris ready for another round of shows today, but if they thought there would be any respite from the 30-plus degree heat that rendered Milan scorchio, they were wrong – the French capital is just as hot. Thankfully, then, when it came to the SS26 Saint Laurent men’s show, Anthony Vaccarello had opted for something a lot less severe than his AW25 outing, when he sent sexy boys in thigh-high leather waders round the runway to a sleazy Leonard Cohen soundtrack. The presentation kicked off a week of shows, with Rick Owens, Louis Vuitton, and Jonathan Anderson’s big debut at Dior to look forward to. Before all that, here’s everything you need to know from Saint Laurent.
Saint Laurent shows are known for happening after dark, evoking the same kind of feeling as a clandestine meeting in a smoky bar in the early hours of the morning. This time around, however, Vaccarello stepped out of the shadows and opted to stage his latest outing in the late afternoon, taking over his usual Bourse De Commerce – home of the Pinault art collection – where the sun streamed in through the glass-domed roof. At the centre was a shallow aquamarine pool dotted with ceramic bowls of different sizes which floated across the surface of the water – the installation was the work of Céleste Boursier-Mougenot, and forms part of a new show opening at the space across the summer.
Vaccarello explained in his show notes that this season’s offering landed somewhere between Paris and Fire Island – it was as if his AW25 high-fashion finance bros had slammed their laptops shut and logged off for summer vacation. In fact, it was almost as if they couldn’t wait to pack a case to get there when it came to the clothes.
Neck ties seemed hastily tucked into button-down shirts to keep them out of the way, sleeves were rolled up to the elbows, and trapeze-y shaped shorts with paper bag waists – much like the ones Yves himself loved to wear – were hitched sky high, as if their wearer was off for a paddle before they’d even had chance to slip into their Speedos. Elsewhere, a particular standout was the wet-look shirt, with big, exaggerated shoulders, which added a bit of the sleazy, sensual perversity we’ve come to expect from Saint Laurent menswear.
Across the collection, Vaccarello really captured the fizzy feeling of impromptu summer plans coming together, sneakily leaving the office early and setting sail for an evening on Fire Island, or just as likely a few sunset drinks in the park before heading home – just make sure you put down a blanket if you’re head to toe in new season Saint Laurent, obviously.
He’s recently been experimenting with colour in his womenswear offerings – take those uber-fab jewel-toned brocade jackets and silky skirts from his AW25 collection, which Chloë Sevigny stepped out in not so long ago, for example – but Vaccarello’s menswear has largely been stuck in neutral. This time around, that changed, with the designer sending out pieces in a rich palette of deep aubergine, punchy mustard, powder blue and a pale green, faded emerald. The whole thing felt light and easy, with lots of looks utilising diaphanous fabrics.
Scroll through the gallery at the top of the page for the entire SS26 collection
