There are countless reasons why Paris Fashion Week remains one of the most beloved stops on the fashion month calendar, be it the sheer number of heavy-hitting designers on the calendar or the celebrity star power in attendance, and one of the most anticipated shows of the week is none other than Saint Laurent. Well, if one can even call it a show—full-on production is a more apt term for how and where the Winter 2026 runway was staged. It was set inside a modernist residence, all floor-to-ceiling glass windows, with sweeping views of the Eiffel Tower, even complete with an oversize replica of a bust that once stood at the heart of Yves Saint Laurent‘s private home.
While the front row was stacked with A-listers from Kate Moss to François Arnaud, the runway was a parade of top models, including one Bella Hadid, who were all outfitted in a uniform of louche tailoring, dramatic outerwear, and what creative director Anthony Vaccarello is calling “nocturnal elegance”. The collection was defined by two themes: on the one hand, the masculine tropes of the tuxedo and on the other, the femininity of sheer lace. It was a study in contrasts, and one that revealed the designer’s ultimate strength: his take on sexy that’s somehow always sophisticated, never contrived, and endlessly sought-after.
Le Smoking, Revisited
In 1966, Yves Saint Laurent revolutionized the world of tailoring—and who gets to participate—with the release of Le Smoking, the first tuxedo concept designed with women in mind. Since then, designers past and present have interpreted and reinterpreted the silhouette for their time. Creative director Vaccarello revisited the iconic suit for his fall 2026 collection, presenting a series of single and double-breasted suits that were striking in their precision and simplicity. Styled with bold crystal earrings, a dark lip, and presumably nothing but a great set of undergarments underneath, his relaxed tuxedoes take on an aura of both power and refinement, a conversation “between the parameters of masculinity and femininity,” declare the show notes.
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