Lights, Camera, Action! Anthony Vaccarello has a love affair with Parisian spectacle, we've seen other Saint Laurent shows at the foot of the Eiffel Tower but this was a display like no other. A waterfall had been created in the shadow of the tower, one side lined with tickets holders, smoky haze, bright lights, and the other lined with virtually fluorescent palm trees and a huge crowd of the general public. It was figuratively and literally unmissable.
As the Eiffel Tower began to sparkle, models literally walked on water, creating dark splashes and deep ripple effects that dazzled in the spotlight. On first reflection, this collection was quintessentially fantastically Vaccarello; long bare legs finished with phenomenal stacked heels, black tuxedo suiting, leather shorts, slim-fit jeans, pointed flat boots, bedazzled jackets, and star and moon embroidery. All perfect for the wealthy Parisian young fashion-pack.
The casting was typically fabulous, with the likes of Anja Rubik, Freja Beha Eriksen and Julia Nobis stomping and strutting in snakeskin knee-high boots and stilettos. However, one felt a little on edge watching the models in the water, with some models' fringes pushed over their faces with headbands and ties it was a surprise the show went without so much as a stumble.
Yves Saint Laurent always endeavoured to empower women. While one could argue that Vaccarello's collection instilled a confidence and a sexual glamour to great success, the eighties high-cut swimsuits and continual insistence on a thin, leggy aesthetic felt more akin to glamourised sexuality, which, with a target market of 25-and-under, is ultimately problematic. A beautiful collection but one that needs to utilise new tools, besides baring skin, to empower women.
