At Paris Fashion Week, Saint Laurent unveiled its Women’s Summer 2026 collection under the direction of Anthony Vaccarello.
The presentation built on the house’s tradition of using aesthetics as a means of communication, positioning style as a language that extends beyond appearance and into broader cultural dialogue.
The collection arrived with a clear statement: fashion as discourse. According to the brand, in an era where dialogue is diminishing, clothing has the capacity to connect and add nuance. Vaccarello’s work for Summer 2026 framed garments not only as visual creations but as symbolic arguments, articulating themes of resistance, respect and inclusion.
The staging was deliberately cinematic, casting the Saint Laurent woman as both heroine and classic figure. Vaccarello drew on contrasting archetypes to express multiplicity. Black leather silhouettes referenced the stark imagery of photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, paired with crown-like embellishments that suggested regality. Other looks leaned into Rive Gauche codes, offering flowing fabrics and bold colour palettes to reassert the brand’s historic left-bank identity.
Heritage influences also surfaced in the form of reimagined figures from art and literature. Evoking descendants of the Duchess of Guermantes from Marcel Proust’s In Search of Lost Time or John Singer Sargent’s portrait of “Madame X,” the collection traded traditional silks for technical fabrics, underscoring a tension between past and present. The deliberate juxtaposition highlighted Saint Laurent’s ongoing exploration of cultural symbols through modern material innovation.
By bringing together these contrasting references, Vaccarello reinforced the house’s long-standing assertion that beauty is plural. The collection balanced strength and elegance, tradition and modernity, while addressing the contemporary idea of style as an inclusive form of resistance.
With this presentation, Saint Laurent furthered its reputation for clear, purposeful storytelling through clothing. Rather than relying solely on surface appeal, the Summer 2026 collection positioned fashion as a medium capable of shaping and reflecting social narratives. In doing so, Vaccarello affirmed Saint Laurent’s continuing relevance within both the fashion landscape and broader cultural conversations.
