Executive Overview
Following a shimmering, emotionally charged swan song at Paris Fashion Week, Anthony Vaccarello’s departure from Saint Laurent was officially confirmed, marking the end of a transformative ten-year chapter for the storied French fashion house. Appointed in 2016 to succeed Hedi Slimane, the Belgian designer quietly yet definitively reshaped the visual lexicon of the Parisian label. He forged a seductive, highly distinct vision of liberated sensuality defined by languid, body-skimming silhouettes, razor-sharp androgynous tailoring, and an unapologetic embrace of after-dark glamour—all framed against the glittering backdrop of the Eiffel Tower.
Vaccarello’s tenure was anchored in physical sensation. His garments were designed for feeling as powerfully as they were for looking. Articulating the ethos of the brand’s muse during an interview on Bella Freud’s Fashion Neurosis podcast, Vaccarello explained that the Saint Laurent woman “isn’t trying to please anyone or have sex with someone else… She can have sex with herself. She doesn’t need someone to do whatever she wants.”
This philosophy transformed the modern luxury wardrobe into a toolkit for pursuing pleasure and expressing hidden desires. By pairing sharp officewear with dominatrix-inspired latex and sadomasochistic leather, Vaccarello realized what he termed “bourgeois perversity”—a delicate, pulse-racing equilibrium between elegance and abandon, good taste and fetishistic thrill. To mark the close of an era defined by high-octane allure, we trace the definitive trajectory of Vaccarello’s decade at Saint Laurent through the seven collections that cemented his design legacy.
Detailed Chronology: Seven Defining Collections
1. Spring/Summer 2017: An Agenda-Setting Debut
When Vaccarello assumed the creative helm of Saint Laurent in 2016, he inherited a complex and contentious design legacy. His immediate predecessor, Hedi Slimane, had famously slashed the iconic “Yves” from the brand’s moniker in an aggressive bid toward contemporary modernization. Vaccarello made his intentions clear from his very first outing, boldly reintroducing the classic YSL branding by suspending a massive neon logo from a construction crane above his runway venue.
The legacy branding subtly trickled down into the collection itself, most notably materialized in the Opyum shoe—an instant commercial juggernaut that replaced the classic stiletto heel with the interlocking metal YSL monogram. This agenda-setting accessory signaled an immediate pivot away from Slimane’s West Coast indie-grunge aesthetic toward a more mature, refined vision of after-dark Parisian luxury. The runway offered early glimpses of the codes that would define Vaccarello’s decade: exaggerated 1980s power-suiting, dark and seductive palettes, and leg-lengthening micro-minis.
2. Autumn/Winter 2020: Latex, Lust, and “Bourgeois Perversity”
Saint Laurent’s AW20 collection represented Vaccarello’s most explicitly sexualized outing to date. It was during this cycle that the designer coined the term “bourgeois perversity,” drawing direct inspiration from Catherine Deneuve in Luis Buñuel’s classic erotic psychodrama Belle de Jour (the original costumes of which were designed by Monsieur Saint Laurent himself).
Vaccarello masterfully toyed with the tension between high taste and transgression. Tailored double-breasted blazers and prim, pussy-bowed silk blouses were juxtaposed against latex leggings, thigh-high boots, halter necks, and ultra-tight turtlenecks that acted as second skins. By introducing lurid jewel tones—rich purples, crimsons, and electric blues—alongside his reliable black palette, Vaccarello offered a poignant reminder of the power of the erotic imagination, presenting the collection mere weeks before the world plunged into the restrictive, touch-starved months of pandemic lockdowns.
3. Autumn/Winter 2023: The Apex of the Power Suit
Moving effortlessly from the boudoir to the boardroom, Vaccarello had toyed with 1980s power silhouettes since his debut, but his AW23 collection distilled this vision into its purest form. Razor-sharp power dressing was reimagined as an instrument of dominance and seduction.
Boxy, structured blazers commanded physical space while knee-grazing pencil skirts featured provocative, high-cut slits down the center. This collection directly catalyzed the industry-wide “corpcore” and “office siren” micro-trends that saturated social media. The aesthetic evolution reached its theatrical peak a few seasons later when Bella Hadid opened the SS25 show dressed as Monsieur Saint Laurent himself—complete with a black double-breasted suit and thick-rimmed glasses—encapsulating the sensual androgyny at the very heart of the brand.
4. Autumn/Winter 2024: Shrouded in Transparent Luxury
Opaque tights are historically treated as a utilitarian necessity—a cold-weather defense mechanism rather than an object of desire. Yet, with the opening look of his AW24 collection, Vaccarello upended this convention by turning sheer hosiery into a body-con micro-mini dress.
A parade of transparent, nude-toned looks followed, walking the tightrope between undergarment and outerwear, crafted entirely from hosiery fabric. Vaccarello cited inspirations ranging from Bianca Censori and the ubiquity of street-worn yoga pants to the historic Jean Louis dress worn by Marilyn Monroe to serenade JFK (later famously worn by Kim Kardashian at the 2024 Met Gala). By transforming fragile, easily-laddered materials into symbols of elite luxury, Vaccarello celebrated ephemerality. As he noted: “Everyone was trying to do more and more commercial pieces, and I really wanted people to dream about something unrealistic.” Suddenly, nude hosiery was transformed into a high-fashion fantasy.
5. Spring/Summer 2024 Menswear: The Boys in Berlin
Berlin has long stood as an epicenter for androgynous fashion icons and uncompromising tailoring. For the SS24 menswear collection, Vaccarello staged his show in the German capital, paying direct homage to cultural legends like Marlene Dietrich and David Bowie through precise, gender-fluid tailoring. Skinny tuxedos, sharply squared shoulders, and plunging necklines proved conclusively that the Saint Laurent man possessed a sexual liberation equal to his female counterpart.
6. Autumn/Winter 2025 Menswear: When Yves Met Mapplethorpe
The AW25 men’s collection was conceived around an imagined, highly stylized dialogue between legendary photographer Robert Mapplethorpe and Monsieur Saint Laurent. The resultant garments married traditional Savile Row-style tailoring with heavy, fetishistic leather. “Respectable on the top, but dirty on the way down,” Vaccarello quipped backstage. Office-appropriate blazers were paired with kinky, thigh-high leather wader boots, while Patrick Bateman-esque corporate suiting was half-obscured by weathered aviator jackets. Virtue, in Vaccarello’s hands, was reduced to a fragile façade.
7. Spring/Summer 2023 Womenswear: Shrouded Fluidity
The way a human body moves beneath garments can be an inherently sensual act. In modern choreographer Martha Graham’s pioneering 1930 piece Lamentation, the dancer moves within a tubular jersey sheath to express profound grief. Vaccarello re-contextualized this concept not as an exploration of sorrow, but as a blueprint for nocturnal Parisian elegance.
For the SS23 women’s show, the designer mined the Yves Saint Laurent archives to revive the hooded capuche dress popularized in the mid-1980s. Languid, gossamer-silk dresses were styled alongside oversized masculine outerwear, once again merging masculine structure with feminine liquidity. These jewel-toned hooded gowns rapidly became red-carded favorites among modern style icons including Kate Moss, Jenna Ortega, and Beyoncé.
Supporting Context & Metrics: The Business of Sensuality
Beyond cultural resonance and critical acclaim, Anthony Vaccarello’s decade at Saint Laurent delivered unprecedented financial growth for the brand, steering it securely into the upper echelon of Kering’s luxury portfolio.
- Revenue Trajectory: Under Vaccarello’s creative direction alongside corporate leadership, Saint Laurent consistently outpaced broader market growth rates, crossing the €3 billion annual revenue threshold. This financial milestone cemented the house as one of the most profitable luxury labels globally, second only within the Kering group to Gucci during its peak years.
- Accessory Dominance: Vaccarello understood the commercial imperative of leather goods and footwear. Hits like the Opyum pump and the Niki handbag became ubiquitous status symbols among affluent urban consumers, successfully bridging high-concept runway theatricality with immediate commercial sell-through.
- Red Carpet Footprint: The designer’s focus on high-octane glamour translated into unmatched earned media value (EMV). Saint Laurent became the go-to house for global superstars at the Met Gala, Cannes Film Festival, and the Grammy Awards, ensuring continuous visibility across digital platforms.
Official Statements and Industry Reactions
The fashion industry responded to confirmation of Vaccarello’s departure with an outpouring of tributes highlighting his rare ability to maintain brand consistency while consistently pushing boundaries.
Francesca Bellettini, Deputy CEO of Kering in charge of Brand Development, noted:
"Anthony has been an extraordinary creative force for Saint Laurent over the past ten years. His clear vision, uncompromising integrity, and deep understanding of the house’s heritage have not only driven exceptional commercial success but have also redefined modern luxury hôtellerie and style. We are deeply grateful for his dedication and immense contributions."
Industry analysts have similarly underscored his tenure as a masterclass in creative continuity. Unlike many contemporary houses plagued by rapid designer turnover, Vaccarello established a cohesive, instantly recognizable universe where every collection felt like an essential chapter of an ongoing narrative.
Future Outlook: What Lies Ahead for Saint Laurent?
As the fashion world processes the end of the Vaccarello era, speculation has naturally turned toward the future of the house. Finding a successor who can balance the commercial dominance of the brand’s leather goods with a similarly potent, seductive design identity will present a formidable challenge for Kering executives.
Will the house pivot toward a more understated, minimalist aesthetic to capture shifting macroeconomic preferences, or will it double down on the high-octane glamour that Vaccarello so successfully championed? Whatever path Saint Laurent chooses next, Anthony Vaccarello leaves behind an indelible blueprint. He proved that commercial viability and fierce, unapologetic eroticism are not mutually exclusive—leaving a generation of consumers dreaming not just of clothes, but of the intoxicating lifestyle required to wear them.
