Anthony Vaccarello looks to Yves Saint Laurent’s illustrious past to evoke a mood, an emotion, and an attitude as a way of living in the present.
By HASSAN AL-SALEH
Photography ARNAUD MICHAUX
History and continuity have always been central to SaintLaurent and the same can be said for Anthony Vaccarello, who is now at the creative helm of the storied French house. The Belgian-Italian designer’s creations are composites from Saint Laurent’s rich past, fused together with his instantly recognizable modern, deft approach, to speak to the present. But for Vaccarello, it is also about liberation from the past and living in the now— which, of course, echoes the same rebellious spirit that characterized Monsieur Yves Saint Laurent himself.
You can never re-create the past. From the very beginning, Vaccarello made it very clear that he is making Saint Laurent his own by imbuing it with the same sense of empowerment he conveyed with his namesake label: the unabashed freedom to explore and celebrate identity, gender, and sexuality. The parallels between Yves and himself are uncanny.
Since the fabled house was established in 1961, Saint Laurent has become one of the most influential brands in the world, both creatively and culturally. Now, Vaccarello is pushing the Parisian brand forward for a new generation and keeping the spirit of its legendary founder, who revolutionized fashion as we know it, alive today.
“The point is to keep the spirit alive and to make the house and the collections relevant for today. Saint Laurent is an attitude, an effortless chicness but always with a twist, a sense of confidence.”