Slouchy Leather, Shearling, and Zippers: Saint Laurent Stays Subversive

“I love Monsieur Saint Laurent’s subversive approach to clothes, his dark romanticism with a hint of perversity. I wanted this collection to be like a re-reading, a radical fantasy of his heritage,” said Anthony Vaccarello, the brand’s new creative director since last year.

For the new collection, we saw patent leather make a serious statement alongside shearling, matte velvet, and leather for days. Large details graced many of the looks, including: a gathered flower-like bunch of material over many of the shoulders of long and short dresses, some with slits, some asymmetrical, and some with drawstrings; cascading long frills down the front of a knee-length dress and encompassing the front of a sleeveless dress from the neck down; large flowers were seen making a statement on collar-like necklaces and on the tops of off-the-shoulder dresses; above-the-elbow gloves with zippers and straps, insulated and overflowing with shearling, and appearing as a near-half-coat for the top of the shoulder; boots galore—slouchy velvet, leather, and sequins calf-high and knee-high boots in black, brown, blue, green, silver, and teal; cross-over skirts and strapless mini dresses with large flaps and frills; sheer silk and lace tops with bunched, bell, or drawstring sleeves;

We also got a taste of the men’s collection with a few show-stoppers, such as: shimmering dress tops, matching pants, shirts, and blazers with sequins detailing; relaxed low-rise trousers with an asymmetrical closure to mask the zipper and front button; and delicate, yet bold statement corsages and belts.

For fall, winter, and seasons beyond, one thing is true—as Vaccarello wanted, the radical fantasy of Mr. Laurent’s heritage is back, and we’ll need to get it, and wear it, while we can.