Saint Laurent’s Winter 2020 showing employed the nostalgic elegance of their Nineties bourgeois and polished women. A cross-pollination of risk and elegance segued in the distance as oversized and boxy blazers traveled down the runway in a sartorial contrast to the jewel-toned (citrine, amethyst, ruby, swoon) latex trousers on bottom – tailored so tight to the body they nearly cemented the idea of a second skin. As Anthony Vaccarello stands at the helm of creative direction, the good girls and bad boys of decades past are outfitted in the long-standing traditions of asymmetrical, skin-tight seduction as spectacle chez Saint Laurent. 

Houndstooth, panther, and polka dot patterns walked the runway as the show went on. Clean tailoring, double-breasted blazers (almost equestrian like), lace, cashmere, slicked hair and chain accessories endowed every look with fluency and wholeness of a merging past and present. Fluffy furry outerwear in rich hues stunned, but remained second to the hip-hugging, slithering bodycon trouser hidden beneath. Later, that liquidy latex translated well from pant to boot, to skirt and blouse proving true that more is, well, more. Bra tops and tights danced the line of coverage – modesty in strides. Then seamlessly, pencil skirts floated down the walk in a balance of feminine and provocative making everything seem all the more enchanting. 

The complexities and complements of the oversized versus the skin-tight expanded the lexicon of cool boys’ and girls’ citywide. A corseted bodysuit peaking below the deep lapels of a trench outsmarts tradition, while the black lace bodysuit belted in place distilled tension in seduction, the silent slips of nudity bore feminism in confidence, and the buttoned-up bow-neck blouses brought it all together. Half well-mannered, half mysterious, part scene-hopper, part cat-women – the collection was all very true to the brand. For Fall 2020, Vaccarello played on the tropes of glamour and found that classic Saint Laurent chic in imperfection.