After ten years at the helm of Saint Laurent, creative director Anthony Vaccarello is officially departing the storied French fashion house, marking the end of a transformative era for the luxury brand. Vaccarello’s recent spring ready-to-wear show served as a fitting milestone for his tenth anniversary at the label, capping off a decade in which he successfully redefined the aesthetic vocabulary of Saint Laurent. Throughout his tenure, the designer became celebrated across the global fashion landscape for his unmistakable ability to telegraph power and sexuality with equal measure, merging fluid, sheer, slinky gowns with razor-sharp tailoring and powerful silhouettes.
Vaccarello’s distinct vision reshaped the modern wardrobe, marrying the archival codes established by Yves Saint Laurent with a contemporary, high-voltage edge. From viral, crystal-encrusted slouch boots that dominated street style and social media feeds to micro-florals paired with assertive eighties power shoulders, his collections consistently generated cultural resonance. He fearlessly experimented with oversized taffeta ruffles, dramatic draping, and the triumphant return of the smoking jacket, proving that classic tailoring could be continuously reinvented for a new generation. Under his creative direction, Saint Laurent maintained its status as a powerhouse of nocturnal glamour, sleek minimalism, and uncompromising luxury.
Over the past ten years, Vaccarello’s magnetic runway visions attracted an extraordinary roster of celebrity devotees, actors, and supermodels who helped cement the brand’s cultural currency. His ability to connect with diverse icons of style was evident in the eclectic group of personalities he dressed and maintained relationships with. Throughout his tenure, he clothed everyone from legendary nineties supermodels Amber Valletta and Kate Moss to rising contemporary talents like Olivia Dean and Mikey Madison.
This wide-ranging stable of muses formed the backbone of the Saint Laurent ecosystem. Figures such as Charlotte Casiraghi, Chloë Sevigny, Rosé, Anja Rubik, Hailey Bieber, Charli xcx, and Zoë Kravitz became synonymous with the brand’s aesthetic, frequently stepping out in Vaccarello’s daring designs for major red-carpet events, international film festivals, and front-row appearances. These loyalists witnessed and championed the evolution of his design language, supporting the house through its boldest stylistic shifts and most viral fashion moments.
Among this constellation of talent, Zoë Kravitz emerged as the undisputed, de facto face of Saint Laurent during Vaccarello’s tenure. The creative bond between the designer and the actor-model spans the entirety of his decade at the house, tracing a chronological arc of iconic red-carpet moments. Their collaboration began with the striking fall iris dress that Kravitz wore to the Venice Film Festival in the early years of his directorship, and it continued through landmark events such as the Met Gala, where she recently appeared in a breathtaking black lace pannier gown. Their professional synergy and mutual creative admiration became so integral to the house’s identity that Saint Laurent even released a commemorative photography book, aptly titled Zoë, in permanent honor of the pair’s enduring bond and shared aesthetic vision.
As the fashion industry processes the news of Vaccarello’s departure, reflection naturally turns to the profound legacy he leaves behind at the Paris-based house. Over ten years, he not only sustained the commercial and critical success of Saint Laurent but also infused the label with a distinct, nocturnal allure that defined modern red-carpet dressing. By honoring the house’s storied history of tailoring and subversion while pushing it into new stylistic territory, Vaccarello secured his place in the annals of contemporary fashion history. As the house prepares for its next chapter, the industry looks back at a decade defined by razor-sharp tailoring, sheer elegance, and an unwavering commitment to unapologetic glamour.