Ethereal yet composed, a little louche and a lot elegant, Saint Laurent FW22 shunned the overt sex appeal and logomania of its contemporaries in favour of a return to the beauty of yesteryear’s YSL, infused with a hint of edge. Drawing upon the art deco energy that surrounded Yves Saint Laurent in his personal life (yet was sparse in his collections), the Saint Laurent FW22 exercises referential restraint; rather than making literal connections, art deco “[informs] the show more in essence and overall outlines than in direct quotations,” according to the press release.
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Partially inspired by British activist and publisher Nancy Cunard who “dressed audaciously ahead of her time,” the Saint Laurent FW22 show was a masterclass in sartorial tension. Classic menswear silhouettes collide with delicate dresses as peacoats and paletot-style coats are worn atop fluted gowns in floaty fabric to create a new, elongated silhouette that plays with proportions. Stacks of chunky bracelets interrupt the flow of sheer and silky fabrics, a style move that draws directly from Cunard, who was known for wearing oversized African bangles from wrist to elbow at a time when they were decried as ‘barbaric’. The signature YSL Le Smoking tuxedo jacket took on a slouchier form, while an array of faux fur jackets look better than their real counterparts and narrow leather coats play into the same elongated silhouette, styled over floaty dresses and pinned with a flower at the lapel. Never straying too far from the signature Saint Laurent hue of black, the collection took shape in neutral tones of chocolate, cream, and the palest of pinks.
Quiet in its elegance, the Saint Laurent FW22 show refuses to vie for the oh-so-coveted but ever-changing attention of gen Z, instead catering to the steadfast woman who grew up with Yves Saint Laurent.
Words by AR Staff
