Anthony Vaccarello lights up Paris Fashion Week
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Anthony Vaccarello has really come into his own at Saint Laurent. We know his penchants, that of the molto sexy, shorter than short brigade, but this season there was more than meets the eye originality.
The show began with a series of looks inspired by former Yves Saint Laurent muse Betty Catroux, a blond vixen with side swept hair, shouldering mannish coats and black sunglasses. The outerwear here was superb, all bold shoulder, big lapels and confident proportions. They wrapped, instead of drowned the models, and you could imagine their hand in pocket sashay could walk the looks off the runway directly into the street.
The first hint of colour came fifteen looks in, with a purple Panama hat, but this was all about embroideries and lavishly beaded dresses and jackets, worn with Ostrich feathered boots or leather knee-highs.
The shoulder defines a silhouette
The starting point of this season's silhouette began with the shoulder, and in a preview Vaccarello told Vogue it took six months to get the proportions correct, which saw the padding in jackets and dresses extended by two centimetres. In a sea of mannish tailoring this season, Vaccarello's proposition effortlessly captured the attention of his audience.
In the next act, there was a smattering of men's looks, all black and white tailoring, with an occasional leopard fur stole, red leather biker or lamé gold striped shirting thrown in for good measure.
It was the third act of neons and black light that cemented the show as Vaccarello creating his own legacy at Saint Laurent. Models walked behind a wall of glass, reminiscent of Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama's Infinity Room mirror installations, and while the audience strained to see the final exits, the show imagery depict a wave of fluorescent micro dresses, mostly one-shouldered and feathery, lit up with a sunglasses, shoes and belts. Instagram lit up, too, with Saint Lauren't show finale, as will its stores next season.
Photo Saint Laurent AW19, source: YSL website