Between golden trenches, see-through derbies, and thin-framed shades, the Saint Laurent man waltzes through the mist. For SS27, the concrete heart of the Bourse welcomed what appeared to be the wardrobe of a cartoon villain. And that’s a heavy weight on the skinny shoulder of the SLP models to carry.
Anthony Vaccarello shares seduction through three pillars of restraint: simplicity, comfort, repetition. Delivered on a silver platter (imagine a mid-century, ornament-less design), the looks alternate between the idiom ‘same type, different font.’ And with most fictional character’s clothing: the outfit remains oddly similar in any different context, the same pieces work for their everyday look, in a slightly different font for the holiday special, and even fit for a crossover episode set inside his evil laboratory. And maybe by season three, the uniform might change.
But now, repetition is clever, and the kookier it is, the more it is thought back on. Leaning into the house’s archives of the 70s and 80s, Vaccarello took the idea of the perfect trench and trousers, and maximised them to a point where the alternatives live in the details. Take the high waisted pants, they have two options: to be slim, or to be slouchily oversized. Meanwhile, jackets skip between the light puffiness of a windbreaker, a cinched trench, and a baggy blazer held together by one to three antique brooch buttons for its clasp. Whichever the stylish villain du jour chooses, the choice is tailored to his mission.
Then there appears another point of contingency in the cartoon: realism disappears. Vaccarello points to the heavy, hot weather for the unlined blazers, pants that are sometimes left backstage, and the remarkably light fabrics. Yet, long sleeves and floor-touching bottoms go completely against the idea. But remember: Temperatures don’t really exist in fiction.
There is also a notable mention for the see-through. Sometimes belts are opaquely transparent, and mesh tops offer contrast. But the truly distinct element resides on the feet of our imagined antagonist. The derby takes on a number of variations with snake skin quarters and glossy colourful shines, or a sockless version styled with its transparent match. The constant? Always pinched at the tip, the cap is stretched in an amusingly attractive way to elongate the foot. Basically, the Saint Laurent men showcased the ultimate capsule wardrobe — one where the villain makes his surprise entrance through magic water vapor.
Words by Lora Lolev
Images courtesy of the brand
