Saint Laurent 2025 Show: Dissolving Gender, Reimagining Femininity
This season, Creative Director Anthony Vaccarello drew inspiration from Yves Saint Laurent’s iconic 1970s archives yet pushed beyond mere nostalgia.
01. Prelude to a Disruptive Dialogue
Through sharp androgynous tailoring, dramatic color clashes, and a fluid gender narrative, the show elevated "retro-futurism" to new heights. More than a fashion presentation, it served as a "deconstructive experiment on modern female identity." As suits transcend masculine exclusivity and jewelry becomes a symbol of power, are we witnessing fashion’s ultimate expression of equality?
02. From "Self" to "Selflessness"
Vaccarello’s vision stems from Yves Saint Laurent’s own words in an interview:
"My muse? Myself."
This seemingly casual remark encapsulates the brand’s ethos of gender-neutral beauty—"clothing is not subordinate to gender, but a weapon of self-expression."
・Blurring Boundaries: Deliberately softening waistlines, the collection features vertical cuts, wide-leg trousers, and high-waisted structures that reimagine body proportions. This technique pays homage to Yves’ revolutionary 1975 "Le Smoking" tuxedo while using geometric precision to make garments vessels for fluid gender expression.
・The Narrative of Control: Deconstructed pilot jackets and satin ties pair with heavy metal bracelets and bejeweled footwear, creating subtle power metaphors. As show notes stated: "This isn’t about exposed skin, but about the mastery of dressing." This wrapped sensuality echoes modern women’s demand for self-determination.
03. Cutting Revolution: Architecting the Body
・Shoulders: Power Structures: Classic YSL strong shoulders reach new extremes—suits extend at near-right angles yet taper sharply into wrist-hugging cuffs.
・Waistlines: Erasure vs. Redefinition: High-waisted trousers return not as nostalgia but through hidden belts and asymmetric pleats. The waist becomes a focal point without emphasizing curves—a poetic statement that bodies shouldn’t conform to tradition but co-create with clothing.
04. Dark Romance in Full Bloom
Midnight black dominates the palette, punctuated by liquid silver, molten red, and sunset orange, fusing gothic elegance with futuristic tension.
・Metallic Power Plays: Gilded earrings and bracelets cut through all-black ensembles. Layered gemstone necklaces and peacock feather earrings nod to YSL’s legendary muse Loulou—reinterpreted with gothic brilliance. As Vaccarello implies: true sisterhood needs no sugary pretense.
・Saturated Bursts: Emerald satin and fuchsia tulle emerge in eveningwear like emotional explosions within rational frameworks—mirroring women’s duality between professional restraint and private release.
・Perfect Imperfection: Visible hand-stitching and deliberately tarnished sequins challenge haute couture’s perfectionism, symbolizing modern women’s acceptance of vulnerability.
05. Genderless Fashion’s Ultimate Question: Equality or New Consumer Trap?
Applause erupted as models walked in unisex wide-leg jumpsuits—a collective industry bet on gender-neutral design’s commercial viability. But Vaccarello’s ambition runs deeper:
・Precision in Ambiguity: Adjustable drawstrings and modular accessories (detachable ties, angular sunglasses) allow oversized shirts and column dresses to fit XXS to XXL. This aligns with Gen Z’s desire for "de-labeling": when a suit transcends gender, size, and occasion, clothing becomes free self-expression.
・The Luxury Equality Paradox: Despite "inclusive" designs, diamond-encrusted heels and crocodile bags maintain elite price points—exposing genderless fashion’s core tension: does breaking boundaries simply offer more choices to the privileged?
The SS25 collection succeeds by finding resonance between heritage and contemporary consciousness. Saint Laurent’s ultimate message to modern women? True freedom requires no surrender of femininity.
You can be both warrior and poet, controller and dreamer—and clothing is your manifesto.
With razor-sharp cuts that slice through gender bias, dark hues wrapping strength and fragility, and genderless designs questioning consumerism, Vaccarello crafts not just fashion, but cultural commentary.
all photo:YSL.com