On Tuesday evening in Paris, Saint Laurent ‘s Spring 2025 women’s show taught a lesson in power dressing. Under the warm glow of a tall golden oculus in the French fashion house’s historic courtyard, models, including Bella Hadid (who made a long-awaited return to the runway this evening), debuted designer Anthony Vaccarello’s androgynous suits and eclectic eveningwear alike on a blue oval runway — a nod to Yves Saint Laurent’s famous Marrakech gardens. In the former category, Vaccarello’s formalwear meant strictly business.
It was clear that his eyes were fixed on empowering YSL’s clientele with oversized outerwear, razor-sharp lapels, shiny leather belts and fine ties. The boardroom fits, if you will, were masculine in form, but they looked even more strong on the feminine body. There was a sense of restraint within Vaccarello’s suits, shirts and ties that was indicative of his newfound desire for order — and it was that rigidity that made you take the clothing that much more seriously.
There was, of course, a good deal of signature, sophisticated YSL eveningwear to balance out the officecore; and those pieces were a bit more chaotic. Those included shimmering cropped coats with subtle floral patterns, skin-tight dresses with lace details, ruffled skirts and dramatic tops with flowering necklines, all in kaleidoscopic color. The designer’s muse plays hard, while working hard, too.
“No other House is as linked to a quintessential female archetype as S.
