For the house’s Summer 2024 collection, Anthony Vaccarello drew inspiration from pioneering women in aviation, like Amelia Earhart and Adrienne Bolland
For Saint Laurent, the sky is certainly the limit. Anthony Vaccarello paid homage to the groundbreaking female figures who once dominated the skies for his latest collection at the Parisian house. Playing on the traditional uniform and its structured silhouettes, the Belgian-Italian designer presented a new vision of the modern working woman.
“In general, I think there’s a lot of very busy things right now. I want for Saint Laurent to go back to something very clean and basic, and start a new chapter in a way,” he said during a preview. “After last season – which was very tailored, very evening – I wanted a collection with no tailoring at all. It’s almost, for me, like starting again.”
“I wanted a collection with no tailoring at all. It’s almost, for me, like starting again,” says Vaccarello
And this restart, and rebirth or sorts, manifested itself in the collection as innovative takes on traditional silhouettes. There were variations on the classic workwear cornerstones–utilitarian jumpsuits, pencil skirts, flowy blouses–but this time, reimagined in rich earthy hues of olive, maroon, and beige. Vaccarello also reinterpreted classic Yves Saint Laurent couture pieces like the safari suit and sheer dresses, which is yet another nod towards the powerful female muses he was inspired by. And in true Saint Laurent fashion, gender codes were turned up on their heads. Reminiscent of late 60s, early 70s Yves Saint Laurent, this collection from Vaccarello saw the infusion of traditional elements of menswear to create a collection that was refreshingly feminine and powerful.
Not to mention that this opulence and sophistication of the collection was matched by the environment in which it took place. The runway show was backdropped against the iconic Paris’ skyline herself (even complete with the Eiffel Tower glittering in the distance). It was quite the star-sudded affair – seeing the likes of Kate Moss, Hailey Bieber, Tracee Ellis Ross, Emma Mackey, and Austin Butler in attendance. And as the last model walked off the runway and the sky grew darker over Paris, all we were left to say was – what a wonderful close to day two of Paris Fashion Week.
Images courtesy of Saint Laurent.
