In April 2016, Anthony Vaccarello was appointed Saint Laurent’s creative director, succeeding Hedi Slimane. The Belgian designer arrived at a house having to fill the shoes of a powerful predecessor. His first collection, presented that September, introduced the design vocabulary he would refine over the next decade, including sharp shoulders, black leather, bare skin and a distinct midnight glamour. 

Vaccarello established his visual identity at the house through his early shows rather than simply repeating the past. In September 2017, he staged his Spring/Summer 2018 show at the Trocadéro, with the Eiffel Tower sparkling behind the runway. The imagery went on to become a recurring emblem of his Saint Laurent, one that is unmistakably Parisian, cinematic, and sensual. The collection looked at Yves Saint Laurent’s archives, translating its references into Vaccarello’s own sharper, sensual silhouettes. 

In 2022, he staged the Men’s Spring/Summer 2023 show in Marrakech, a first for the house in a place closely connected to its founder. The show also marked the first time a major European fashion house staged a collection on the African continent. Turning the founder’s relationship with a place into a contemporary fashion moment, Vaccarello extended heritage beyond just archives.

The house’s ambitions also extended beyond the runway when he launched Saint Laurent Productions, a film production company in 2023. It debuted at the 76th Cannes Film Festival with Pedro Almodóvar’s Strange Way of Life. The following year, three productions, including Jacques Audiard’s Emilia Pérez, David Cronenberg’s The Shrouds and Paolo Sorrentino’s Parthenope, entered the festival’s official selection. The introduction of the film company carried the house's longstanding cinematic allure into a business of making films. 

By 2024, Vaccarello was using the runway to explore ideas beyond the house’s familiar codes. His Fall/Winter 2024 collection embraced fragility, while for Spring 2025, he turned to Yves Saint Laurent’s iconic suit, shirt, tie and sunglasses, recasting them on women. His method often meant revisiting the house codes and then shifting its meaning through silhouettes and styling. 

Then came the ending. On September 29, 2026, Vaccarello presented a gold-drenched Spring/Summer 2027 collection beneath a giant chandelier at the Trocadéro, with the Eiffel Tower backdrop. On October 9, Kering confirmed his departure after a decade at the helm. From black leather beginnings to a gilded farewell, Vaccarello leaves behind a house whose Parisian drama he made his own.