The Future Of Saint Laurent’s Menswear Is Here

When a designer leaves a brand and new one takes up the mantle of creative director, just as Anthony Vaccarello did after Hedi Slimane exited Saint Laurent, there’s bound to be comparisons made between the two artists’ work. And last night in Paris, we finally got our real first look at how Vaccarello plans to succeed Slimane’s menswear legacy—and Stefano Pilati’s before that— at the iconic French brand. The appointment of the Belgian-Italian Vaccarello was announced nearly a year ago (last April) and since then, the former designer of Versus Versace and his own suspended namesake line has stayed quiet on the menswear front. From the perspective that Vaccarello made his name in women’s wear and not the rule-heavy world of menswear, it makes some sense. From the perspective that menswear is a thriving business for the brand, it warrants a thinking emoji face. But that’s not to say menswear hasn’t been touted by the label. Vaccarello’s first campaigns featured skinny black jeans and leather pants (albeit on shirtless models), ads celebrating the House’s game-changing “le smoking” tailoring showed a cutaway black tux, a Spring ’17 video with guys in slim black trousers and polka dot collared shirts (also black), and most recently in the brand’s Summer 2017 men’s campaign, you can spot a black suit, cut-off sleeve shirt, and black streamlined oxfords in the series of black-and-white shots. And to be sure, you can still pick up many of the items—’Teddy’ baseball jackets, suede Chelsea boots, slim plaid shirts—that helped make Saint Laurent a white-hot luxury brand once again. Read more at GQ.