MANIFESTO

#64

MUSE TWENTY FANZINE

SAINT LAURENT

2023.03.01

Text by Lucrezia Sgualdino

PRECISION, EMOTION AND RETICENCE

 

Anthony Vaccarello brings to the runway a unique and essential collection, a perfect embodiment of the Saint Laurent woman, an expert blend of precision and sensation skillfully paired with elements that have written the history of the Maison. 

The concept of temporality is the starting point for the research behind Anthony Vaccarello’s new Winter 23 collection for Saint Laurent. For the Creative Director, the present moment is an aspect of great inspiration, uniquely juxtaposed with the brand’s aesthetic and aspects that distinguish his creative flair. The precision can be seen in the very structures of the clothes, austere and sharp. Instead, it is the flowing fabrics of large bows presented at the neck of blouses and long train of royal-looking stoles that give the silhouettes a feminine and sophisticated movement.

SAINT LAURENT WOMEN'S WINTER 23 BY ANTHONY VACCARELLO.

“Maybe elegance is something we have no sense of today. Maybe we don’t care about it. Maybe it has some other meaning, or maybe it has no meaning at all. But I really want to bring that idea of being dressed.”

– Anthony Vaccarello

The concept of emotion shines through at the same time in the practice of dissolving gender-related categorizations. Classic elements of the men’s wardrobe of the 1980s become symbols of sensuality, long blazers are presented side by side with voluminous leather bomber jackets, in sharp contrast to sheer dresses and fine-shouldered tops, pinstripes in shades of gray and retro-looking tartans. Every detail appears perfectly in harmony with a timeless feminine wardrobe. Reticence can be read in the light or thick and opaque materials, which are interrupted by chiffon, crepe-de-chine and muslin elements; an illusion of layers and transparencies that allows the Saint Laurent woman to play with her body in a severe yet attractive and provocative way. The pivotal silhouette of the défilé features wide blazers and straight knee-length skirts. A look that becomes ultra modern thanks to unmistakable accessories, large dark-lensed glasses, jewelry and golden details worn with an innate modern ease. 

SAINT LAURENT WOMEN'S WINTER 23 BY ANTHONY VACCARELLO.

The giant logo at the entrance of the catwalk is a clear reference to the past, to the brand’s history. In fact, the old Yves Saint Laurent monogram recalls that sense of opulence characteristic of the brand’s Haute Couture shows between 1975 and 2001, as does the setting, which harks back to the ballroom of the Intercontinental Hotel where collections were presented for decades. This reference to the past is cleverly transformed into a modern key, bronze-hued chandeliers illuminate the catwalk in a warm yellow, which seems still from years gone by but can be extremely sophisticated. The black space that envelops the atmosphere, together with the sublime défilé presented by Vaccarello, once again recreates a unique atmosphere, inspired by the past but extraordinarily turned to the future.

“I like the idea of evoking Yves Saint Laurent without referring to a certain piece. It’s more of an evocation. I like to play with the fantasme we have in the house without doing clothes from the past.”

– Anthony Vaccarello

SAINT LAURENT WOMEN'S WINTER 23 BY ANTHONY VACCARELLO.
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN LOVE?

2024.10.28

Trance Therapy, the new Versace Jeans Couture campaign, plunges into an imaginary, fairy-tale and surreal world to portray the unique and authentic sensation of falling in love. Characters find themselves catapulted into a vortex of emotions that catalyse their deepest bonds. 

THROUGH THE LINDBERGH LENS

2024.10.22

Galerie Dior in Paris presents an unprecedented look at deep affinities, the codes of the Maison and the attentive lens of photographer Peter Lindbergh.

CHANEL CRUISE 2025/26

REINTERPRETATION OF CODES

2024.10.18

Chanel arrives in Italy for its next Cruise 2025/26 to be presented at Lake Como.

LOUIS VUITTON SS25

A FASCINATING OXYMORON

2024.10.02

Nicolas Ghesquière pays tribute to Maison Louis Vuitton’s long tradition of craftsmanship by showcasing resolute femininity. The delicacy of the Spring-Summer 2025 collection walks on the important foundations of the brand.

MIU MIU SS25

SALT LOOKS LIKE SUGAR

2024.10.02

The Miu Miu Spring/Summer 2025 collection designed by Miuccia Prada is a starting point that brings together the ideas of past and future. It is a tale in which the present seems to be too narrow, a collection of spontaneous gestures that radically alter classic garments.