Saint Laurent has unveiled its Men’s Summer 2026 collection in Paris, with Creative Director Anthony Vaccarello describing the show as “a suspended moment, somewhere between Paris and Fire Island”.
The presentation took place at the Bourse de Commerce and featured an installation titled clinamen by Céleste Boursier-Mougenot.
The collection pays tribute to a lost generation of artists, and also to the founder of the house Yves Saint Laurent himself.
Vaccarello’s designs were presented in afternoon light rather than evening, choosing what he called “the clarity of the afternoon light” over artificial glow. The approach prioritised physical presence and subtlety over display.
Silhouettes in the collection are described as sculpted but not exaggerated, with extended shoulders and elongated cuts. Materials such as silk and nylon were used to shape the body with ease. The chosen colour palette included sand, salt, pale ochre, dry moss and pool blue.
The collection avoids direct references to the past, even though certain elements recall pieces once worn by Yves Saint Laurent. According to the house, with the new collection, “there’s no reference here. Only recurrence.”
Throughout the show, there was an emphasis on sensation over spectacle. The bodies presented on the runway were not explained by narrative or drama. Instead, they were intended to be experienced. The fabric and space were described as breathing in tandem.
The Summer 2026 show marks another conceptual statement under Vaccarello’s direction, continuing his exploration of tension between historical reference and present-day design without resorting to pastiche or nostalgia.
