Anthony Vaccarello debuted his first runway collection as creative director of Saint Laurent at Paris Fashion week, and the designer certainly kicked off his new career move in style.
"It's a work in progress," Vaccarello told Vogue regarding his spring 2017 collection. "[The Saint Laurent woman]'s certainly not bourgeois or classic. She has a huge respect for Saint Laurent, but not in the first degree. So I thought of her taking a vintage dress and cutting into it."
The first look in Vaccarello's line was a black leather version of one of Saint Laurent's retro puffy-sleeved dresses. In other cases, Vaccerello took cuts out of classic forms, deepening necklines, and replacing sections of gowns and jackets with sheer, see-through materials for a sexier, punkier edge.
The show felt like a celebration of '80s excess and visually stunned. The silhouettes felt fresh and nostalgic all at once, giving us some early-Lady Gaga vibes (particularly in the large sleeves and shiny beading.)
If the show is any indicator, the post-Hedi Slimane Saint Laurent is set to dazzle and innovate. Time will tell is Vaccarello can maintain the high standards he's just set.
View the full collection at Vogue Runway.