Anthony Vaccarello For Saint Laurent

Anthony Vaccarello For Saint Laurent

- Jess Wood

When Anthony Vaccarello, 35, arrived at the helm of Saint Laurent early last year, he had huge shoes to fill. And several pairs. Not only is Monsieur Yves Saint Laurent one of the sainted icons of French fashion, but Vaccarello’s predecessor at the house, Hedi Slimane, had built a feverish following all of his own with his grungy, alt take on glamour, infused with indie-music inspirations.

The Italian-Belgian Vaccarello ran his own label for eight years (currently on hiatus) after stints designing the Versus line for Versace and working for Fendi. He’s known for a purer form of straight-up sexiness – still rock ’n’ roll, but champagne to Slimane’s tequila shot, if you will. Two seasons later, and Vaccarello’s fierce, spotlight-craving woman is carving out a new era for Saint Laurent with her slouchy, crystal-encrusted boots and 80s-influenced swagger. In this exclusive chat with the designer, he talks to us about ‘bad taste’, why short dresses don’t spell sex and his Parisian adventure…

What was your first reaction when you were asked to be the creative director of Saint Laurent?

I had turned down offers over the past few years, but this one was just impossible to say no to. The odd thing is, while working on the first collection, I didn’t feel any pressure at all. It’s only when I arrived at the venue and saw the giant YSL neon logo hanging from the crane in the middle of Paris, that I finally realised what kind of icon I now have in my hands.

What’s your first memory of Yves Saint Laurent?