The Autumn/Winter 2025 menswear show by Anthony Vaccarello for Saint Laurent pays homage to the aesthetics of Yves Saint Laurent and Robert Mapplethorpe, blending classic tailoring with edgy, provocative elements. Vaccarello drew inspiration from the tension between haute couture and bold artistic expression at an imaginary meeting between the two icons. The collection featured high leather boots and sartorial elegance, embodying a juxtaposition of bourgeois tastes and fetishistic undertones, symbolized by the dramatic setting of the show venue and the collapsing chandeliers, encapsulating the era and spirit of the creative forces behind the design.
In practice, the divide between the two was swift and neat - the tops were Saint Laurent, the bottoms Mapplethorpe, courtesy of beyond-thigh-high boots referencing Saint Laurent's own 1963 'Robin Hood' collection.
This collection was about the melding together of the aesthetics and tastes of two men Vaccarello described as his favourite.
Symbolically, in the centre of the show venue, the grand chandeliers that used to sway over Saint Laurent couture shows seemed to have come crashing to the ground.
Those were universal - above was classic, timeless tailoring, shoulders softly extended in fine wools and checked tweeds or tartans, the bourgeoisie tastes that were the façade to Saint Laurent's fetishistic fantasies.
Collection
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