PFW AW17: Saint Laurent

ANTHONY Vaccarello’s sophomore Saint Laurent collection showed the new creative director developing what he started last season. Again it was sexy and tactile with shabby-yet-simultaneously glitzy evening-wear to the hilt and a hint of retro brought brazenly to the present day. Looking elsewhere other brands who have appointed new designers to shake-up creative direction within the last two to four seasons, e.g Alessandro Michele at Gucci and Demna Gvasalia at Balenciaga, caused such a stir when the bright sparks ignited a complete revolutionary rehaul.

Vaccarello is a slight exception however, it’s clear he was a fan of what his predecessor Hedi Slimane turned Saint Laurent into and now intends to give it the fine tuning he thinks necessary post-Slimane.

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Though this collection was designed much in the same vein as his first, and indeed even Slimane’s last galvanising couture collection for the house, think Nolan Miller of Dynasty costume design fame made uber cool and contemporary,  some progression was made in giving AW17 a softer edge. Casual staples such as jeans, angora sweaters, sheepskin and suede were incorporated into trendy day looks which showed the Saint Laurent girl making some use out of the day following the night before.

The night before in question, she had set her agenda to stun in shiny leather mini-dresses with elaborate ruffles, asymmetric with giant shoulder pads, a proudly plunging décolletage and glittering with blinding silver sequin embellishments. These, worn with such insouciant confidence, were sensational.

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Aside from the generally great garments that were strutted down the catwalk two elements stole a little more of the show, the boots and the gladiator goddess glove-cum-theatrical sleeve. The slouchy leather, suede and at some point sequinned boots of varying height were the perfect oh so wrong but so right pairing with the eveningwear or otherwise the perfect compliment to day looks.

With so many skin-tight boots clinging to the calf at the moment a boot that’s made for walking with such divinely indulgent lashings of leather was a fabulous new footwear notion. The collection was brought to a stellar end with extra resplendent dresses that created an exciting climax. More collections like this and Vaccarello will make Saint Laurent completely his own in no time.

by Livia Feltham

Images courtesy of Saint Laurent

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