Under Anthony Vaccarello’s creative direction and captured through the lens of photographer and director Glen Luchford, Saint Laurent’s Winter 2025 menswear campaign unfolds as a moody, cinematic meditation on masculinity. Starring two actors from different generations, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Christopher Walken, the campaign creates a dialogue between youthful recklessness and the calm wisdom that only lived experience can bring.

Courtesy of Yves Saint Laurent

Taylor-Johnson channels sensuality, reflecting the carnal, provocative spirit of Yves Saint Laurent’s iconic 1970s portraits. Shirtless or wrapped in high-gloss leather, his body contorts with a dancer’s physicality, his performance charting a full spectrum of emotion. Captured in shadowy black and white, these moments pay homage to the work of Robert Mapplethorpe, whose emotionally charged portraits of the male form challenged conventional ideas of beauty and masculinity.

In contrast, Walken carries a refined ease. Dressed in a leather coat, pinstriped shirt, and leather gloves, his presence does the work. His scenes unfold in warm color, shifting from intensity to stillness—a portrait of masculinity shaped by experience.

Courtesy of Yves Saint Laurent

The campaign unfolds through a two-part short film. In the first act, Taylor-Johnson navigates an inner storm, with flashes of humor and sensuality flickering beneath the gloom. Despite the film’s vintage palette and haunting tone, a sense of hope cuts through the half-smile that closes his scene. The second act shifts to Walken, whose unhurried gestures and quiet presence reflect a life shaped by depth, experience, and self-possession.

In pairing two men who’ve defined masculinity on screen in such different ways, the Maison offers a thoughtful reflection on identity, the passage of time, and the rekindling of tradition.

Courtesy of Yves Saint Laurent