It would come as a surprise to practically no one that Anthony Vaccarello's plan for the Saint Laurent Men's Spring 2024 show would consist of a lot of oversized shoulder pads and gossamer silk and chiffon. This was the tone he set for his return to menswear earlier this year, and one that he followed up with for his Fall 23 womenswear collection in February. With this in mind, it felt only natural that the theme would recur.
Set against the backdrop of Berlin’s modernist Neue Nationalgalerie, the hard, clean lines of the show space reflected within the silhouettes of the new Saint Laurent man. We first saw oversized tuxedos. Perfectly fitted trousers and starched shirts paired with enormous blazers. There were silky scoop-necked camisoles and simple belts that echoed the Women's collection, alongside chiffon halter-neck tops that flaunted exaggerated pussy bows and trails of fabric that streamed behind models, all unifying in this singular vision that Vaccarello is moving the Maison towards.
Later on, silks woven in a criss-cross formation around the body appeared, they were cut into slouchy t-shirts, and shirred around shoulders, giving the whole collection – in classic Vaccarello fashion – a genderless feeling. Some could note this as progressive, and in ways this feels true, after all, Saint Laurent is moving with the times and evolving as such; but it is also intrinsic to the House to play with these codes, weaving in and out of the binary just as Yves did when he first introduced the smoking tuxedo as a key silhouette for womenswear in 1966. It set the bar for the House, and as we witness Vaccarello adapt with the times, it feels more and more as though he is also honing in on Saint Laurent's roots.
This notion is similarly important to consider when we imagine the significance of a location like Berlin to the message communicated. A queer Mecca, one that is famed for creating ample space for sex and hedonism, serves as the perfect setting for a scanty menswear collection, one where each model is clad in slender patent boots and seamlessly code-switches between the masculine and feminine.
As Vaccarello enters his sixth year in the hot seat with Saint Laurent, his vision undoubtedly has become more refined, more singular; but it is also displaying a sense of openness and progression, he is moving forward, honing the cuts, ironing out any feelings of stiffness and rigidity beyond the structure of the shoulder pads or the narrowness of a skirt. This collection displays such an idea in near-perfect form. The drama is concentrated, contained into the clothes, the attitude, the elegance of it all.
Watch the full Saint Laurent Men's Spring 2024 show, below.
