Au Revoir Vaccarello
It’s 2016, and Hedi Slimane just handed YSL's fate to Anthony Vaccarello. Ten years later, Vaccarello presents his final show in Paris, leaving behind a legacy to be remembered.
During Vaccarello’s time at YSL, not only did he take over men's and women's wear, but he also reinvented the identity of YSL. The show took place at Trocadero Gardens and felt like a bittersweet goodbye.
From black-on-gold to gold-on-gold, Vaccarello dressed women in a light we thought was hidden since 1991. Though the vibrant lights of the Eiffel Tower can be seen shimmering in the background, the focus remained on the gold displayed by Vaccarello.
Vaccarello presented cocktail dresses, stilettos, and a series of cropped jackets.
“I love gold; it’s a magical color. When reflecting on a woman, it is the color of the sun,” Vaccarello says.
Not only did Vaccarello take inspiration from color, but he went back in time to reinvent iconic pieces such as the safari jacket and wrap skirts. Paying homage to Saint Laurent, Vaccarello brings these pieces back not only as a time stamp, but as his mark and exit on the brand.
Since history plays one of the biggest roles in fashion, by bringing back these pieces, we are reminded that without the creative direction of the many before him, there would be no direction at all.
Vaccarello references the 1991 Saint Laurent show by opening the runway with an all-black silhouette with hints of gold layered beneath and in between. Vaccarello says that his main inspiration for the show was to flip the past and make it new again.
Beginning with gold and ending with black represents his exit by reminding everyone that something old can be made new again.
While we mourn the exit of a true fashion icon, we rehash the beauty of Saint Laurent and the creative direction Anthony pushed it in.
“A light shines all the more brightly because we know it cannot be held. What passes sometimes leaves more light than what remains.” - Anthony Vaccarello.
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