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Saint Laurent Puts Le Smoking Center Stage in AW26, Marking Vaccarello’s 10 Years

Vaccarello framed the collection as a link to house history without lapsing into nostalgia.

Overview

  • The runway doubled as a milestone moment, noting a decade of Anthony Vaccarello’s leadership and 60 years since the debut of Yves Saint Laurent’s Le Smoking.
  • Tailoring led the show with 14 reimagined tuxedo suits, including an opening sequence of eight looks in austere black.
  • Material experiments gave lace architectural structure via latex treatments, shown alongside pinstriped day suits and sheer slipdresses.
  • The presentation returned to the Trocadéro with a sleek, modernist set and Eiffel Tower views, with models in slick chignons, smoky eyes and substantial gold jewelry.
  • Cited inspirations ranged from the film Max et Les Ferrailleurs to works by Tennessee Williams and Gore Vidal, and Vaccarello clarified the finale accessories were wallets rather than handbags.