Saint Laurent FW26
Gird your loins it's the Saint Laurent show
For some time now, fashion enthusiasts, myself included, have been wondering what Anthony Vaccarello is planning on doing with Saint Laurent next. Last year, he took the Saint Laurent woman from boho-chic to 80’s powerhouse in just a matter of seasons. So the direction he chose for FW26, showcased last night in the usual location of under the sparkling Eiffel Tower, was anyone’s guess.
That brings us to the opening looks: lots and lots of black suits. Well, eight of them. For most designers, this repetitiveness would evoke an immediate feeling of boredom from the outset, but when Saint Laurent does it, anticipation stirs.
A parade of lace slip dresses, tops and skirts was to follow. Most in sunset tones and some in a glimmering metallic. The Saint Laurent woman never fails to bring the sex appeal, and this show was no exception. However, this season she’s swapped out her sporty track jacket for a fur coat, which was disproportionately large in the most glamorous way, of course.
As I chew over my opinion of this show, I try so hard not to criticise a brand with such popularity and influence in my industry, but as the saying goes, I couldn’t help but wonder - was it all a bit too samey? Vaccarello has frequently used the technique of finding a silhouette and sticking to it throughout the collection - then reinventing it in new textures or colours, which isn’t usually an issue as it all remains so visually interesting. However, this season, a few of the looks bordered on blurring into one, potentially not helped by the lack of body diversity chosen by casting director Samuel Ellis.
One thing’s for sure: Vacarello always stays fiercely loyal to the brand DNA. After 10 years at the house and however many collections, each one is still unmistakably Saint Laurent, despite the diversity (or lackthereof, in the case of FW26) in his creative choices.
This show feels like a continuation of the modern Saint Laurent woman we’ve grown to know well by now, but has she evolved this season? Potentially not. However, she’s still an icon, and at the end of the day, we’d all wear that slip dress in a heartbeat.