Saint Laurent closed the second day of Paris Fashion Week with a runway show overlooking the base of the Eiffel tower.
The first model to hit the runway looked effortlessly cool in a slinky cream silk maxi dress with an oversized, big-shouldered black pea coat worn atop; cuffs rolled and fashion week’s requisite sunglasses - even after dark - firmly on.
And the silhouette continued throughout, with sheer, slinky and billowing shin and ankle length skirts appearing from beneath a variety of power-shouldered coats and oversized iterations of the famous YSL smoking jacket reworked in heavier, chill-proof fabrics.
Almost every model wore a dramatic coat or jacket, some were draped on shoulders and others trailed them on the floor, with faux fur evening coats, leather trenches and bombers adding variety.
Saint Laurent creative director Anthony Vaccarello was inspired by the radically masculine wardrobe of British 20th century anti-fascist poet Nancy Cunard, whose unapologetically androgynous wardrobe was very much ahead of its time.
The show was a paean to the power of great styling: a floral applique brooch on a mannish coat here, sleeves pushed up to make space for stacks of giant chunky silver and gold bangles there. It was also, unusually for Saint Laurent, an exercise in covered-up sexiness that felt elegant and grown up. While most designers and embracing micro hemlines and party-ready sequins post-pandemic, Vaccarello offered a dinner and dancing-ready wardrobe (and the coats to take you from cab to bar) for women that don’t want to flash the flesh in winter.
An eerie electro soundtrack from French DJ Sebastian and muted colour palette of blacks, browns and greys added to the collection’s sense of seriousness – albeit seriously glamorous.
Earlier that day, Dior delivered a motocross-inspired collection in partnership with Italian performance clothing specialists D-Air Lab, Maria Grazia Chiuri’s most futuristic and experimental to date.
Paris Fashion Week continues today with shows from The Row, Acne and Balmain and culminates on Tuesday March 8.
