With the Saint Laurent Men’s Spring/Summer 2027 collection, Anthony Vaccarello brings men’s fashion back to its core values. In a world defined by the spirit of minimalism, appeal is created from what the wearer actively retains.
Over the years, fashion has always seemed to operate according to the logic of amplification through more platforms, more images, more ideas and more messages, as if the ability to command attention had become a measure of success. Amid that trend, Saint Laurent chose the upstream path. Anthony Vaccarello believes in minimalism, reminding viewers that sometimes it is what is left unsaid that creates the weight of a message.
This spirit adds a vein of inspiration to the entire collection. Minimalism is a concept that has been overused to the point of being understood only as an aesthetic choice. For Vaccarello, streamlining becomes a cultural stance. He wanted the value of active omission in a society that increasingly emphasized constant presence, absolute transparency, and the need to be immediately understood.
Saint Laurent has long built its identity on the precision of its cut, and this season, Vaccarello returns that legacy to its purest state by removing all unnecessary details. Three-button blazers with raised fastening points create straighter, leaner proportions, while trousers, whether cut slim or treated with soft pleats, maintain a comfortable feel within a framework of precision.
The biggest challenge of the collection lies in the ability to make familiar designs new. In a context where many designers are constantly pursuing new frames of reference, new shapes or visual pushes to make a difference, Anthony Vaccarello chose to return to the symbols that have created Saint Laurent’s identity. Gilets, V-neck sweaters or sporty blousons are all familiar designs in the fashion house’s history, but are redefined through proportions, form-fitting techniques and precision in each cut.
Color language also follows that streamlined spirit. Gray, brown, black and beige tones create a calm visual background, occasionally punctuated by accents of orange, ocher yellow, claret red, lime green or powder blue. These colors are present to highlight the rhythm of the whole.
What’s even more remarkable is how Vaccarello continues to exploit the concept of sensuality, a theme that has become a thread throughout his many design seasons at Saint Laurent. Each season, that concept is interpreted in a different way, but always remains consistent. For years, men’s fashion has often oscillated between two poles: one glorifying traditional masculine models, the other choosing the body as a kind of aesthetic discourse. For Vaccarello, attraction is created from the ability to master oneself.
Besides, the images that the collection evokes become especially worth pondering. Marguerite Duras, Tina Chow or the fictional character Tom Ripley belong to completely different worlds, but meet in one thing in common: mystery. They are not defined by what is readily revealed, but by what is always just beyond their grasp. It is that space that creates attraction and makes each character an object that is constantly being interpreted.
That notion was also reinforced by this season’s runway staging. The water mist created by artist Fujiko Nakaya becomes a metaphor for the entire collection. The mist obscures vision, forcing the eyes to stop longer, to actively search and gradually piece together what is appearing before the eyes. This experience is also what Vaccarello wants to evoke through his fashion.
Lesson: Hoang Bao – Fashion Columnist
