Elegance Reclaimed under Anthony Vaccarello
Explore Saint Laurent’s Spring/Summer 2026 ready-to-wear collection by Anthony Vaccarello in Paris — a bold mix of romanesque gowns, sharp tailoring, sheer nylon drapes, and the house’s iconic codes reinterpreted for the modern woman.
Designer & Creative Direction
Yves Saint Laurent (commonly referred to as Saint Laurent or YSL for ready-to-wear) is a storied French fashion house founded in 1961 by Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé.
Since 2016, Anthony Vaccarello has served as the creative director for Saint Laurent, guiding both the ready-to-wear and ready-to-wear womenswear direction.
Vaccarello is known for pushing boundaries, emphasizing sensuality, modern power dressing, and reinterpreting YSL’s defining aesthetic codes (like tuxedos, sharp shoulders, sensual cuts) for today’s world.
His SS26 presentation is seen as a reaffirmation of YSL identity — not nostalgic quotation, but evolution.
The Saint Laurent SS26 Collection: Highlights & Concept
Saint Laurent’s Spring/Summer 2026 collection was presented outdoors with the Eiffel Tower as backdrop, in a grand, cinematic staging.
The runway deck was framed by banks of white hydrangeas forming the YSL logo, an ambitious gesture blending brand heritage and spectacle.
The collection is deeply anchored in Saint Laurent codes: trench coats, tuxedo jackets, sheer overlays, layered robes, nylon dresses. Yet Vaccarello injects contrast — sensual exposure, fluid volumes, and architectural drama.
He frames a duality: strength and vulnerability — leather looks that feel bold but slip into soft dresses, sharp tailoring that yields to fluidity.
Palette, Fabrics & Textural Play
Color & Mood
The color story spans pale neutrals (ivory, cream), soft sandy tones, offset by deep blacks, moody blues, and jewel accents.
These tones allow the silhouettes, textures, and garments’ movement to come forward, rather than overpowering via color.
Materials & Textures
- Sheer nylon & organza overlays: Many evening gowns and dresses use see-through or semi-transparent fabrics that catch light and move with breeze.
- Leather (soft, tailored): Leather appears in jackets, bombers, and mixed textures layered with lighter fabrics.
- Ruffles, pleats & volume: The use of volume, flounces, cascading skirts, and fluid drapery gives romantic tension.
- Contrast layering: Sharp jackets over dresses, structured pieces over fluid underlayers — the tension creates the drama.
Signature Silhouettes & Standout Looks
Bold Shoulders, Sculpted Jackets
YSL reintroduces power shoulders in blazers and coats, sometimes exaggerated in scale.
Some pieces balance masculine structure with feminine drapes — sheaths under jackets, or contrasted soft skirts.
Sheer Dresses & Evening Drama
Evening gowns in sheer fabrics ripple like water; ruffles and volumes evoke historic references, but crafted in modern materials.
One signature look: a nylon trench or day dress worn nearly nude beneath, with ruffled skirts and flowing sleeves.
Leather & Sensual Layering
Leather bomber jackets layered over pencil skirts or silk dresses, sheer panels revealing glimpses beneath — juxtaposition is central.
Some looks feel confrontational — bold in exposure, yet anchored in craftsmanship.
Reception, Strengths & Challenges
Strengths
- Strong brand voice: The show did not dilute YSL codes; it reinforced them while allowing room for reinterpretation.
- Visual cohesion: Despite contrasts, the collection presents a unified narrative: the modern YSL woman moves between power and softness.
- Balance of drama and wearability: Many pieces have theatricality, yet others feel possible for high-fashion wardrobes.
Challenges
- Some gowns and extreme volume may appeal more to editorial than everyday wear.
- The balance between sensual exposure and comfort is delicate — styling matters heavily.
- The strong visual direction may overshadow subtler pieces in the same collection.
Conclusion
Saint Laurent’s Spring/Summer 2026 under Anthony Vaccarello is an elegant assertion: heritage is alive, not static. By weaving classic YSL codes — tuxedos, trench coats, sheer dresses, sharp tailoring — with modern contrasts of exposure, volume, and movement, Vaccarello shows that a house with deep roots can still evolve boldly.
This collection captures the tension between strength and softness, form and fluidity, history and reinvention. Saint Laurent remains not just iconic — but relevant.
