Saint Laurent Spring/Summer 2017

Anthony Vaccarello‘s debut at Saint Laurent was pure sex appeal—he has a bit of a knack for that after all. For a designer who’s forte is the ultra ultra mini, what better way to jumpstart his new role than with a tribute to the ’80s? The show opened with a puff shouldered leather dress with a sweetheart neckline with a plunging deep-v, which was a nod to a 1982 collection by Yves Saint Laurent. That number was followed by a similar leather bustier style top paired with boyfriend jeans and worn with earrings, one long dangling crystal one, that was simple but oozed sex appeal. There were velvet and vinyl versions of these looks and later there sultry draped gold lamé mini dresses and multiple versions of the classic skinny smoking suits, which frankly never go out of style. Model Jenese Roper sported a Grace Jones’ flat top hairstyle worn with a tuxedo jacket dress, for instance. Then there was the one shouldered…indeed, one breasted…leather mini dress worn with one silver pasty on model Binx Walton that quickly made its way around the Instagram circuit. The Kardashian clan has been all about “freeing the nipple” lately, perhaps they should start investing in this collection. Regardless, the overall aesthetic was sizzling in a way that should have the jet-set ladies looking to go out and show off their 20-something figures, whipping out their credit cards in no time. If Saint Laurent execs were looking to continue to rake in the kind of revenue they were seeing with Hedi Slimane‘s rock n’ roll aesthetic, then it would appear that Vaccarello’s first collection was a good start.