The golden hypnosis of Anthony Vaccarello for Saint Laurent SS27 If it was a farewell, it was a beautiful one

Yves Saint Laurent loved gold. «When reflecting a woman, it's the color of the sun», the designer used to say, as noted in the Maison's SS27 show notes. Presented last night in front of a gilded Eiffel Tower and beneath a chandelier of gargantuan proportions, the new collection signed by Anthony Vaccarello seems to have confirmed the long-circulating rumors that, unfortunately, have been proclaiming the creative director's departure from the Maison. It must be said, however, that what Vaccarello is feeling this morning can't be all bad. The designer put on a show so majestic, transparent, and glorious that it convinced everyone it was a farewell. As if it were impossible, in 2026, to produce a creatively coherent collection without it representing the final chapter of an artistic tenure.   

From the very start, the Saint Laurent runway was engulfed in a torrent of golden garments. 1980s-style suits topped with voluminous bows tied at the neck, sleek, shimmering bombers, safari jackets, trench coats, and cigarette skirts: every archetype of the Saint Laurent woman appeared, one after another, according to the philosophy of repetition that has always defined Vaccarello's shows. Yet there was truly nothing repetitive about it: not even the gold, which appeared in every shade and incarnation, from pale gold to matte, and from the softly blended tones of the Renaissance to the more explosive hues of the Byzantine era; nor the textile offering, which encompassed organza, lamé, brocade, jacquard, and even latex coated in gold leaf. As if caught in a collective trance, the audience found itself transfixed by a shimmering stream of looks gliding down a long runway, walked in pumps and sandals with heels shaped like a hypnotic, tapering serpent.

This SS27 contained everything of Saint Laurent and everything of Vaccarello: the inventions of the Monsieur who founded the brand years ago drawing inspiration from the magical Parisian nightlife, but also the coats with structured shoulders, the voluminous blousons, and the ultra-short, tailored ensembles trimmed with fur borders that are the hallmark of the new (perhaps outgoing) creative director. And even submerged in gold, the accessories did not go unnoticed — often fiery red to reflect the flame against the metallic tones of the looks, maximalist and imposing: earrings that dangled down to the shoulder, seductive stiletto shoes, and hair bands.

Toward the finale, a group of entirely black looks appeared in quintessential Saint Laurent style, from tailored women's suits to evening gowns — effervescent, knotted at the models' shoulders, billowing up the back with each step and sending the trains aloft. Vaccarello's bow to the audience is as moving as the show itself: hand in hand with Charlotte Gainsbourg, muse and friend in total black, the designer walks through the golden tunnel of looks to hand a small bunch of keys to his son Luca, aged 5, who is waiting for him in the front row. «A light shines all the more brightly because we know it cannot be held. What passes sometimes leaves more light than what remains.», reads a quote from Vaccarello in the show notes. The light the designer has produced for the Maison over these ten years will, we are certain, continue to shine for a long time to come.