07 Oct, 2022
The tubular sheath worn by the great Martha Graham for
her 1930 choreography Lamentation – enveloping the body from head to toe– had a
profound impact on visual culture and fashion, an influence that rippled far
beyond the world of dance and across time. It is evident in numerous
collections by Yves Saint Laurent – from the hooded, diaphanous chiffon dresses
he made for a collaboration with Claude Lalanne in 1969 to the indelible
modernity of Spring Summer Haute Couture 1985, when a prolongation of fabric
over the model’s head lent a casual connotation to several looks. Even the
house founder’s last show, fall winter Haute Couture 2002, reprised the theme.
These
precedents – especially Yves’ hooded ‘capuche’ pieces from the mid-1980s, which
established an iconic key motif for the brand – provided a pivotal point of
reference for Anthony Vaccarello as he set out to combine, for the Summer 2023,
an essential attitude with the ultra-refined, elongated silhouette presented
last season.
Radical fluidity defines the collection, expressed
through silk jersey knits. Floor-length dresses evince an elegant ease,
balanced with masculine outerwear quintessentially Saint Laurent by Vaccarello:
wool coats with strong shoulders as well as leather bombers and trenches.
Sumptuously muted colors hark back to signature Saint Laurent moments, while
legs are bare yet concealed by a relentlessly columnar silhouette. A sheer tank
dress, cashmere pants, and pajama-inspired satin looks exemplify the sophisticated
effortlessness that runs through the collection, juxtaposed to potent effect
with sculptural wood and gold jewelry.
The set, an essence of
Paris, distilled and exaggerated to a cinematic scale: the terraces, fountains
and views of the iridescent city – a sublime backdrop for Vaccarello’s evolving
vision.
