Why we love Saint Laurent menswear for autumn winter 2018

A journey to the dark side with Saint Laurent

saint laurent FW18

Even before Anthony Vaccarello staged his autumn/winter 2018 fashion show for Saint Laurent in Paris, we knew we would be in for something spectacular.

Appointed as the brand's creative director in 2016, Vaccarello shares the same inclination for discreet drama as his predecessors, so it felt entirely natural that the autumn/winter show would be staged in a huge glass box opposite the Eiffel Tower. What better way to ensure that the entire world would be watching?

The house of Saint Laurent has long been defined by its luxurious fabrics and exquisite detailing; however, under the directorship of Vaccarello, this has been taken to a new level. In the collection, both men and women were clad almost exclusively in black, and at first glance this served to hide all the sumptuous detailing. The women were draped in acres of gleaming leather, while the men were clad in shimmering silver lurex, suits of crushed velvet and embroidered fronted shirts.

A slim-cut suit in deep piled velvet was lifted – barely – with a burnished gold shirt, while elsewhere, an intensely dark 1970s leather peacoat sat over a knitted jumper, run through with silver thread. In a rare shot of colour, a teal suit was carved from velvet so dense only flashes of pigment were to be seen, while a tuxedo was so subdued, the exquisite grosgrain edging was almost imperceptible. In one of the lighter touches, a bomber jacket was made from Glen tweed, woven from what might have been spun pewter.

Much is made of the expression "the devil is in the detail", but in this ominously beautiful collection, that really holds true. By layering tone-on-tone, Vaccarello shows his mastery of understatement, as the shadows disguise almost all of the rich embellishments. By choosing such a dark approach, the creative director reaffirms that true luxury is not so much about shouting to the world, but instead saving the real beauty of a garment for the person wearing it.

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