Anthony Vaccarello’s dark romantic collection lauds Saint Laurent founder at Paris Fashion Week

Anthony Vaccarello is wasting no time carrying out his vision at Saint Laurent. This season he paints a dark romantic picture with mastery strokes in lace, leather and hypnotising rhinestones that pay homage to the maison’s founder.

Vaccarello showed more than 100 looks for his second collection as creative director of the heritage maison – dotted with a few menswear looks.

Instead of sending models down the runway with looks they’d just shown, Vaccarello’s clan dazzled in a new line-up of evening wear - featuring hypnotising crystal-encrusted details - cue the cable knit sweater and ruched knee-high boots that have (almost) broken the internet.

Ambitious? Yes, and he’s got all the reasons too. While the brand has reported soaring sales, its new headquarters on Rue de Bellechasse - under construction and where the autumn/winter 2017 show was presented - will be completed next year.

Like his predecessors, Vaccarello paid tribute to Yves Saint Laurent by taking inspiration from his vast archive. One of the looks turned the act up a notch - a black velvet mini dress featuring sequined purple flower embroidery via Lesage that was commissioned by Yves Saint Laurent himself.

“I love Monsieur Saint Laurent’s subversive approach to clothes, his dark romanticism with a hint of perversity,” says Vaccarello. “I wanted this collection to be like a re-reading, a radical fantasy of this heritage.”

Vaccarello took a radical approach to update the heritage elements – think his signature asymmetrical silhouettes, dramatic and structured shoulder details and rhinestone-encrusted details melded with the house’s iconic le smoking style.