Saint Laurent's '90s couture has never been so desirable

If the little Yves Saint Laurents with oversized glasses and suit ties from SS25 were no longer present for the brand’s FW25 collection, the tribute to the pioneer of the Saint Laurent House, perhaps more discreet this time, was still there yesterday at Paris Fashion Week. Through 45 looks exploring the spectrum of white light, Anthony Vaccarello closed this intense fashion month last night by bringing to life a series of divas, each more voluminous and colorful than the last, bringing a bit of the soul and a lot of the heritage of the House to the Parisian runways. In a subtle yet well-placed nod to the 1990s haute couture collections of Yves Saint Laurent, once deemed terribly outdated by the general public, Vaccarello brings back excess, loudness, and even tackiness in a revisionist approach to fashion and its trends.

Vaccarello’s silhouettes follow a single thread that branches into two categories: shapes and colors. The first model to appear, an orange turtleneck dress cinched at the waist with a violet bow, literally sets the tone. The first 36 looks that follow, moving to the slow and vibrant rhythm of the music, are all built on the same backbone: bold colors, voluminous shoulders, and knee-length skirts. The silhouette flares dramatically at the shoulders and softens as it nears the hemline, forming an inverted triangle as if flipped upside down against its will. However, each look breaks this pyramidal figure with colored leather belts or tucked-in shirts emphasizing the waist. The transition from coral orange to fuchsia pink, deep green to emerald blue, electric blue to amethyst purple is seamless, as if an autumnal, melancholic veil had softened the intensity of these pigments. Around the twentieth look, the collection takes a turn, shifting to a series of outfits connected by a fine yet solid thread. The tones abandon their summery vibrations for a more autumnal palette, featuring hues ranging from beige to mustard yellow and a more subdued orange. Prints make their first appearance, whether leopard or floral. Then enter the show’s other main protagonists: leather jackets worn as dresses, cinched at the waist, and lace dresses. A trio of looks—a delicate deep blue dress worn by Bella Hadid, a yellow leather dress, and a red lace dress—inevitably evoke the colors of Mondrian, whose collaboration with Yves Saint Laurent gave rise to one of the most iconic A-line dresses in the House’s history.

As soon as the red dress leaves the runway, the third and final chapter of the collection begins, challenging our earlier expectations. This final segment revolves around monochrome silhouettes ranging from dark brown to hazelnut, the only darker shades in the collection, bringing balance, warmth, and comfort. Beyond contrasting with the flashy first looks reminiscent of kitschy satin prom dresses from the ’80s, the last nine looks also contrast with themselves, as if day and night had fused into a single outfit. While the base remains the same—a balloon skirt starting mid-thigh and flowing dramatically to sweep the runway like a ballroom gown on a dance floor—the tops vary, from camisole-style tops with lace-trimmed necklines to turtlenecks, sometimes paired with heavy leather jackets in the same color scheme. Not a single pair of pants in sight. No bags. No doubt: the Saint Laurent woman is the coolest of them all, hands in her pockets and jacket casually draped over her shoulders.

A nonchalance that isn’t so casual, but rather meticulously curated by Anthony Vaccarello, who explains that for his FW25 collection, he wanted “something clean, without embellishment, without decoration, without… anything.” “I simply wanted to push the silhouette in these saturated colors—it’s the most color I’ve ever used—crafted in washed satin and technical jersey, materials I had never worked with before, to give an elastic effect. I really liked this idea of elasticity, of movement—all of it to evoke a sense of freedom. There is no real structure; the volumes come from the shape of the garments and the fabrics, and everything is light.” This collection is a stylistic exercise in letting go, allowing shapes and colors to speak for themselves without tipping into the ridiculous, the excessive, or the theatrical. It is also an exercise in spontaneity and honesty for Vaccarello—honesty towards himself, his role as a creative director, and the industry as a whole. An honesty that tugs at our emotions, bringing out the hidden colors within us.