Inspiring the House since 1969, the famed tubular sheath worn by the great Martha Graham in 1930 for her choreography Lamentation comes back to Anthony Vaccarello’s fashion repertoire at Saint Laurent, to complete with its ultra-refined, elongated silhouette the essential attitude reflected through his Summer 2023 collection. Not only does it represent a continuity for the collection he presented last season, but also for numerous collections that Yves Saint Laurent himself designed – from the hooded, diaphanous chiffon dresses he created for a collaboration with Claude Lalanne in 1969 to several looks from his modern Spring-Summer 1985 Haute Couture collection and his last show, Fall-Winter 2002 Haute Couture.

While fluidity was expressed through the collection’s silk jersey knits, an elegant ease was reflected through floor-sweeping dresses. And to make the collection quintessentially Saint Laurent by Vaccarello, masculine outerwear made an appearance – think wool coats with strong shoulders, leather bombers and trenches. A sophisticated effortlessness was also part of the collection, was reflected through a sheer tank dress, cashmere pants and pajama-inspired satin looks and juxtaposed by sculptural wood and gold jewelry. And against the cinematic backdrop of the show, the muted colors revived the memory of signature Saint Laurent moments and Vaccarello’s evolving vision took a more sublime direction.