At four o'clock ET—around 10 PM Paris time—I hunched over my laptop scanning Saint Laurent's Spring 2026 runway for the face of Bella Hadid. I nearly missed the Ôrebella founder among 50 Saint Laurent-clad models, a personal failure on my part.
Usually, I can spot Hadid's jaw line from a model away—the niche skill might as well be in my job description. But I was looking for a honey blonde Hadid. And therein lied my mistake. When creative director Anthony Vaccarello transformed Hadid for his runway, he reverted the model back to her previous brunette state. Though her shoulder pads are an element she's worn before, the hairstyle rendered her momentarily unrecognizable.
Saint Laurent's fashion muse appeared half-way through the show in the midst of several '80s-inspired coats. Her tangerine dress boasted the windbreaker-like finish sported by front row attendees Zoë Kravitz and Hailey Bieber, with a patent-ish shine. As with the rest of the collection, Hadid's exaggerated shoulder pads took center stage, juxtaposing her cinched waist tie.
With a focal piece this striking, Hadid's runway attire required little to no accessories—a fact Vaccarello completely ignored. Instead, the creative director leaned into the drama of the era, with black-tinted hosiery and pointy pumps straight out of corporate America.
From there, he curated an '80s-era interpretation of old Hollywood glamour, adding the most oversize sunglasses on Saint Laurent's shelves. The square-shaped aviators were chestnut brown, which complemented the vibrancy of Hadid's dress.
Though she didn't actually dye her hair, Hadid's slicked-back bun gave off a similar effect, showing off her brown roots. The hairstyle also did its part reveal her heavily-embellished earrings, which hung past her shoulders.
Statement shoulders have become a fixture of Hadid's Saint Laurent looks. Last March, during the Fall 2025 show, she debuted Look 34: a royal-blue lace dress within the same retro silhouette. High-rise tights and strikingly similar heels finished off the moment.
Six months prior, Saint Laurent ushered Hadid back onto the runway for her first fashion show in two years. Once again, she pulled off outsize shoulders with ease. This time, she did so wearing a three-piece menswear suit.
It truly wouldn't be Paris Fashion Week without Bella Hadid in a set of overlarge shoulder pads.
