Anthony Vaccarello marked the end of his 10-year tenure at the helm of Saint Laurent with the latest Spring/Summer 2027 collection. With the breathtaking Eiffel Tower as the backdrop, a giant chandelier lighting the runway, and a star-studded front row, the show reflected Vaccarello’s transformational years at the house.

The collection was dominated by gold, a colour with a long history at the house. Vaccarello used it to look back at Saint Laurent’s past while crafting his own interpretations. Appearing throughout the collection in deep, matte, metallic, and burnished finishes, he transformed familiar pieces and silhouettes rather than merely decorating them. 

Familiar silhouettes like the sahariennes, trenches, blouses, and wrap skirts evoked the works of Monsieur Saint Laurent. At the same time, strong-shouldered coats, oversized blousons and precise suits reflected the wardrobe Vaccarello developed during his decade as creative director. 

This mix of heritage and reinvention has been central to his work at Saint Laurent. Rather than treating the archive as something fixed and immovable, he took its most recognisable elements making them sharper, more direct and relevant to the times. In this final collection, those signatures were brought together and covered in gold, as if Vaccarello was bringing to light the pieces that defined his chapter at the house. 

The fabrics also reflected the scale and confidence of his vision. Lamé, organza, guipure lace, mousseline, brocade, jacquard, metallic cotton and gold-leaf-coated latex gave the collection a rich and highly crafted finish. The clothes felt luxurious, but their strong shapes kept them modern and powerful. 

The accessories added another familiar Vaccarello touch. Large jewelled earrings and shoes made from gilded metallic chains, set on twisting snake heels, brought together glamour and danger. This balance has been one of the defining qualities of his Saint Laurent designs. 

The final looks moved from gold into black. A velvet suit with jewelled buttons recalled the classic elegance of the house, while three loose black evening dresses brought a more instinctive and personal feeling to the ending. Their freedom of construction suggested Vaccarello’s Belgian roots and gave the finale a sense of release.

After 10 years at Saint Laurent, Vaccarello’s final collection is a complete expression of the artistic language he established at the house. It gathered the house’s history, the silhouettes he made his own and the glamour that defined his tenure. The gold made the ending feel celebratory, while the move into black acknowledged that this chapter had come to a close.