The new style icon storming the catwalk? An haute couture Norfolk fisherman
Acres of glossy black leather, enough to keep catwoman catsuited to the hilt, which was fortunate as she was sat front row. One of her iterations anyway; the feline Zoë Kravitz, watching Anthony Vaccarello’s Saint Laurent men’s collection under the frescoed gods of the Bourse de Commerce in Paris.
Saint Laurent’s stewardship under the unassuming Vacarrello is one of fashion’s solid success stories, at a time when conglomerate owner Kering – steered by owner François-Henri Pinault – needs it; the other luxury houses in his firmament have seen a downturn. Vaccarello’s aesthetic is one of sensual, after-dark moodiness, a sensibility that’s made those oh-so-important bags fly off the shelves. And it was a potent mix that informed his autumn/winter men’s collection, where powerful suiting sat alongside glossy black leather on coats and those thigh high waders.
The boots – squint and you could just about imagine your local Norfolk fisherman hauling on a pair to tackle the swells – were a fun styling trick, designed to set the social media chatter alight, but also have previous where Yves Saint Laurent is concerned. The designer famously shook up Christian Dior when he took over after the designer’s death, debuting – in what was seen as an act of sacrilege – a modish modernity on the 60s catwalks, all Beatnik flat caps and thigh high boots. So it was fun to see them rendered for men. Will you wear them with a classy navy double-breasted next season? Possibly not, but boots with suits are certainly a proposal, albeit perhaps not scraping-the-upper-thigh proportions for the average fellow.
They were also – whisper it – a little bit sexy. Men’s fashion has been missing a dose of sexiness in recent years, dominated as it is by sportswear and casualisation. There’s not much for those hommes fatales Alain Delon and Helmut Berger today, which is why Saint Laurent’s sensuality for men is rather refreshing. The suits were powerful and sharp – those stricter shoulders and nipped in waists – and the sweeping, glossy black leather coats, as well as faux-fur and feathered varieties, straight from the rain-slicked Paris streets of Helmut Newton, the photographer who captured Saint Laurent’s Le Smoking tuxedos for women back in the 60s. Vacarello’s take on masculinity is straight from the playbook of 60s and 70s Paris nightlife, and it’s as sensual and provocative as the curl of smoke from a Gitane cigarette at Le Sept nightclub.
Those suits, as it happens, are just about some of the best in the business. Saint Laurent built his empire on the prowess of his after-dark tuxedos, as potent at cocktail hour as an ice-cold, dry martini. This time around, the suiting was more focused on heritage fabrics – plaids, Prince of Wales checks and the odd herringbone. Take away the left bank styling – those vampish boots and the “don’t look at me” shades – and they were almost traditionally British, cut to fit perfection and championing that most antiquated accessory, the humble tie – an item that’s all but died a death in contemporary wardrobes. Perhaps Saint Laurent’s proposal will be part of a move back to proper shirt-and-tie sartorialism. And the good news is that this particular businessman can cast his line and steer the corporate agenda in the office all in a day’s work and wardrobe.
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