Paris Fashion Week kicks off with Saint Laurent SS26 collection, blending 80s style with a modern edge

Beneath the Eiffel Tower’s lights, Anthony Vaccarello kicked off Paris Fashion Week with a cinematic collection of sharp contrasts, marking a bold start to the shows running through October 7.

Saint Laurent closed the first day of Paris Fashion Week with a show in front of the Eiffel Tower at the Trocadero — featuring a hydrangea garden that formed the brand’s symbol. In row A, celebrities such as Madonna and her daughter Lourdes Leon, supermodels Amber Valetta and Linda Evangelista, businesswoman Hailey Bieber, and singer Charli XCX attended the brand’s SS26 collection. This show also marked Bella Hadid’s first runway appearance this season.

Vaccarello revives ’80s power with a modern edge

Creative director Anthony Vaccarello continues to explore silhouettes that have proven successful in his latest collections, such as exaggerated shoulders and fitted skirts in true 1980s style. This time, the Belgian-Italian designer has added layers created from codes fundamental to Saint Laurent’s identity, such as the aesthetic of photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, who shot iconic campaigns for the brand in the 1980s, translated into powerful leather looks.

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Fluid silhouettes inspired by Saint Laurent’s Left Bank era

Another inspiration comes from the Left Bank era, when Yves Saint Laurent himself began selling his ready-to-wear line in an intimate store on the Left Bank of the Seine, which became a symbol of Parisian youth culture in the late 1960s. The space was a complete contrast to the grand, gilded interior of the house’s haute couture salon. Vaccarello revisited the era’s silhouettes — defined by fluid fabrics and intense colours — with trench coats, shirts, and skirts in a plastic, almost transparent finish.

To close, a series of voluminous evening dresses with ruffles and exaggerated sleeves swapped the silk typical of gala looks for technical fabrics. By embracing a more urban aesthetic and moving away from haute couture’s inaccessibility, Vaccarello shows that the Saint Laurent woman is multifaceted and deeply connected to her time.

This article was originally published by Natália Guadagnuccion on the Marie Claire Brazil website.

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