Anthony Vaccarello’s Saint Laurent men’s show in Berlin was a miracle of impressive tailoring. Vaccarello shared a small clip of the 1950 French short film Un Chant d’Amour on Instagram, which inspired the title of the collection: Each Man Kills the Things He Loves. This title was taken from a song sung by Jeanne Moreau in a film adaptation of one of Jean Genet’s best novels, Querelle de Brest. Vaccarello demonstrated far more than a clue-laden trail of reference A to B, as he had Berlin as part of his personal landscape in the past.
The show was held at the structural precision of the Mies van der Rohe-designed Neue Nationalgalerie. Vaccarello wanted the audience to have the silhouette in their head when they left the show. He explored the exquisite tension between tailleur and flou, with deft and nimble references to each location. Vaccarello began with something very classic and then played with masculinity codes, as those two impulses of French fashion are taken from women’s.
The show featured delicate slipper satin tanks with deep décolletés under swaggering jackets, leopard prints or polka dots as sensually wrapped shirts or one-shouldered tops, and black sweatshirting transformed into couture-y evening outfits. Magnificent tuxedos opened and ended the event, giving off an accidental Lydia Tar vibe with their bow ties and high-collared shirts. Vaccarello’s show was a thoughtful, concise, and intent on reducing the fuss to the perfect distillation of 50 looks.
Paris-based fashion house Saint Laurent is considered one of the most iconic luxury brands in the world. Established in 1961 by Yves Saint Laurent and his business partner Pierre Bergé, the brand has become synonymous with classic French-inspired elegance and luxury.
At the forefront of the fashion industry for over 50 years, Saint Laurent has made a name for itself in a variety of fields, from ready-to-wear and accessories to couture and jewelry. Its aesthetic and aesthetic philosophy has become so iconic, with a lot of the creations from the house becoming a reference point for style today.
The house brought about a revolution in fashion when it introduced the classic Smoking tuxedo jacket for women in 1966. This marked the beginning of a new era of fashion by challenging gender norms. Since then, many more progressive collections have been released. Most recently in 2020, the brand launched a collection of gender-fluid pieces that aimed to redefine the notion of genderless fashion.
At the helm of the company, designer Anthony Vaccarello has continued to push the brand into new directions. After taking the reins in 2016, Vaccarello established a distinct, new vision for Saint Laurent that has a minimalistic and modern feel.
Saint Laurent continues to be a major player in the fashion world and is much loved for its timeless designs. As one of the leader in quality and luxurious craftsmanship, the house has long been known for creating elegantly tailored silhouettes that exude effortless, Parisian-style charm. Its heritage-inspired designs and timeless silhouettes will live on for generations to come.
The Collections
