Bella Hadid made her return to the runway after being absent for two years at Saint Laurent’s Paris Fashion Week show.
A highly sought-after face in the fashion, the 27-year-old model has been noticeably missing from the runways after stepping back to prioritise her health in 2022, having openly discussed her ongoing struggle with Lyme disease.
Hadid showcased a mannish oversized suit and tie, thick-frame tinted specs and a slicked-back ponytail. Hadid’s look was one of several nods to the Seventies wardrobe of Yves Saint Laurent himself throughout the show, which the label’s creative director, Anthony Vaccarello, presented in the form of fluid suits and layered overcoats.
Saint Laurent’s spring/summer ready to wear collection, held at the house’s historic Rue de Bellechasse headquarters, was a perfect blend of old school elegance and modern sophistication, with supermodel royalty, Kate Moss and Linda Evangelista, sitting front row.
Yves Saint Laurent himself once declared: “Chanel freed women, and I empowered them” – a sentiment that certainly resonated throughout Vaccarello’s collection that was rooted in the founder’s style.
Known for reinventing the brand since taking over in 2016, Vaccarello managed to deliver a masterclass in quiet luxury with maximalist accents. Following last year’s muted utilitarian theme, this collection changed tack, showcasing sharp and tailored power suits alongside flamboyant brocade broad-shouldered jackets.
Suits in anthracite, black, and deep plum dominated the runway, with double-breasted jackets and wide-legged trousers referencing Yves Saint Laurent’s own personal style.
Vaccarello’s approach this season was all about control and precision – clothes that were impeccably cut yet never boring. It was a departure from the revealing, boundary-pushing looks of past seasons, reaffirming that sometimes power comes from being fully dressed.
Though the opening daywear was more minimalist, the accessories added just the right amount of flair to the collection. Weighty gold bangles, wide ties, and jewel-encrusted shoes gave each look a touch of the glamour Saint Laurent is known for.
Vaccarello paid tribute to YSL muses like Loulou de la Falaise with these bold, statement pieces, grounding the otherwise understated looks in the brand’s iconic history.
As the show progressed however, Vaccarello pivoted from sleek tailoring to extravagant eveningwear, injecting colour and playfulness into the collection. Rich Seventies jewel tones from fuchsia to canary yellow lit up the catwalk, as brocade blazers and sheer blouses made their debut.
The transition from strict suiting to joyful eveningwear felt like a nod to Yves Saint Laurent’s glory days in the 1970s, a time when the brand was synonymous with bold glamour. It was a reminder that while Vaccarello’s vision is forward-thinking, it remains rooted in the house’s rich history.
Even the more relaxed pieces in the collection, like pyjama-inspired tunics and fluid trousers, were elevated with luxurious fabrics and dazzling accessories, paying homage to Saint Laurent’s long-standing connection with Bohemian high society, artistic circles.
Zoe Kravitz, ever the epitome of Saint Laurent cool, was among the star studded front row, dressed in an all-black lace ensemble that perfectly matched the collection’s understated glamour.
Vaccarello’s spring/summer collection was a tribute to the legacy of Yves Saint Laurent and a masterclass in how to balance restraint with power, elegance with edge.
With Bella Hadid’s triumphant return in a streamlined suit proved Saint Laurent remains a symbol of timeless sophistication, showing that sometimes, the loudest statement is made in the quietest way.
