It was two years ago that Wonderland collaborator Hedi Slimane stepped down from his post as Creative Director for Saint Laurent, and was replaced by the superbly talented Italian-Belgian designer Anthony Vaccarello, formerly of Versus Versace. Since his inception at helm of the French fashion house, Vaccarello has succeeded in ensuring that the brands’ womenswear continues to evolve, push boundaries and remain at the forefront of fashion internationally. His nod to classic YSL silhouettes teamed with a diversity of new and fresh textures and styles has ensured that the womenswear arm of Saint Laurent is the best it’s ever been. And let’s face it, Slimane was undeniably a tough act to follow. But, what next? What now? Thankfully, it’s (finally) time to tackle menswear.

Flying in from around the world to witness this monumental event, the likes of Kate Moss, Julianne Moore and Ezra Miller descended upon New York’s Liberty Island to watch history in the making. And it definitely didn’t disappoint! With models adorned in glitter marching down the runway with the NYC skyline in the backdrop, fashion faves including Lennon Gallagher and Kaia Gerber appearing in the show and a collection that quite dazzled just as much the New York backdrop upon which is was shown, we think Vacarello might just be on track for another win.

SAINT LAURENT STAPLES

There was no way that Vaccarello could showcase his first Menswear for Saint Laurent without doing something that would get people talking. With such a spectacle being made of the show, it was pretty much a given that the designer would be doing something special – and we weren’t wrong. Snakeskin jackets and boots teamed with high-waisted trousers made up some of our fave looks in the collection. Elsewhere, there were some elements of cowboy inspired attire, with embroidered shirts, neckerchiefs and cowboy hats appearing predominantly throughout the collection. Mirroring that of the womenswear was the black sequinned and textured formalwear that remains a key code for Saint Laurent. Vaccarello almost made fun of the this, having models topless at the end showered in sequins and glitter. Textures bombers and coats were the showstoppers of the night; fringe and frills, ruffles and fur and even leather were all the key ingredients for some of our favourite picks. It’s also worth mentioning the (dreamy) diverse array of trousers, all in different cuts, some flared, some straight leg appearing across different textures and textiles and predominantly in black and silver colour-ways. Overall Vacarello’s offerings had elements of Slimane, but with his own unique twist, and they certainly stayed in-tune with the Saint Laurent man that we’ve come to know so well from previous collections.

CONCRETE JUNGLE

It goes without saying that any show that takes a ferry to get to is going to be a major fashion moment. Spectators hopped on the boat to reach Liberty Island, a gorgeous location to showcase Saint Laurent Spring 19 Menswear collection. Upon approach, a make-shift structure was just visible, adorned in smoke and beaming with bold flashing lights. When you have the New York skyline as your backdrop, it’s fine for everything else to be minimal – and that’s exactly what it was. The soundtrack was an atmospheric orchestra and the thick smoke that cascaded across the runway added to the overall moody feel of the presentation. The runway was black semi-sparkle plastic, which emphasised the dazzling lights of New York’s endearing skyline. With regards to casting, the line-up was none other than spectacular, with the likes of Kaia Gerber, Binx Walton and Saint Laurent’s new campaign boy (and former Wonderland cover star) Lennon Gallagher showing off the latest pieces.

AFTER THE AFTER-PARTY

Of course, with a show as monumental as this one, there was going to be an iconique party to follow. Hosted by Vaccarello himself, the entirety of the guest-list flocked onto a cruising boat to enjoy the some after-show celebrations back towards Downtown. Everyone from the cast of 13 Reasons Why and Stranger Things to Ezra Miller and Kaia Gerber celebrated the successful evening with fashion’s man of the moment. Eventually docking at Pier 81, the evenings proceedings drew to a satisfying close, but despite the showcase being over, this is certainly just the start of an epic and exciting era of Saint Laurent menswear.