The maison closes the chapter opened in April 2016 with the succession of Hedi Slimane.

When, in April 2016, Kering announced Anthony Vaccarello as creative director of Saint Laurent, the designer found himself facing a house that Hedi Slimane had already rewritten almost from the ground up. Even down to its name, stripped of the "Yves" that told its story, Saint Laurent had become under Slimane a complete aesthetic system, recognizable in every detail: from casting to imagery, from typography to stores. More than simply inheriting the legacy of a cumbersome predecessor, Vaccarello must therefore confront an already profoundly redefined identity, without squandering the commercial success built around that same vision. "I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the history of this extraordinary house," he commented at the time, with a dry phrase that hints at the challenge.

Born in Brussels to Italian parents, Vaccarello dropped out of law school after just a year and in 2000 entered La Cambre - École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Visuels, where he began studying sculpture and then switched to fashion. He graduated in 2006, and his thesis collection, constructed entirely of leather and inspired by the figure of Cicciolina, won him the Grand Prix at the Hyères Festival. At Fendi, he spent two years working in the fur department under Karl Lagerfeld, a technical apprenticeship that would leave a clear mark on his later work, in his obsession with cut, material, and the construction of volume around the body.

In 2009, he debuted his eponymous brand, and the vocabulary that would accompany him over the years was already recognisable: short skirts, black, bare legs, sharp sensuality. In 2011, he won the ANDAM Prize , and the following year, a dress worn by Anja Rubik at the Met Gala helped establish him as one of the most watched names of his generation. Since 2014, he has collaborated with Versus Versace, first as a consultant and then, since 2015, as creative director.

At Saint Laurent, Vaccarello opts for a clean slate. He wipes the house&#39;s Instagram archive, aiming to rewrite its identity digitally as well, and reintroduces the Cassandre monogram as a recurring signature. His Saint Laurent woman thrives on contrasts: tuxedos and transparencies, sculpted shoulders and flowing drapes, miniskirts and elongated silhouettes, while the man follows a parallel trajectory: androgynous, sensual, and ultra-Parisian. Industrial success parallels aesthetic success : from revenues of less than €1 billion in 2016, the house now exceeds €3 billion, becoming one of the key drivers of the Kering group.

In 2023, Vaccarello founded Saint Laurent Productions and arrived at Cannes with Pedro Almodóvar&#39;s &quot;Strange Way of Life,&quot; inaugurating a path in which cinema ceased to be merely a privileged territory for product placement and became a true space for the fashion house&#39;s expression, a natural extension of its cultural identity. The following year, the film division produced three films in competition: Jacques Audiard&#39;s &quot;Emilia Pérez,&quot; nominated in 15 categories at the 2025 Oscars and winner of two statuettes—Best Supporting Actress for Zoe Saldaña and Best Original Song for El Mal ; David Cronenberg&#39;s &quot;The Shrouds;&quot; and Paolo Sorrentino&#39;s &quot;Parthenope.&quot; Vaccarello served as producer on all three projects, also overseeing wardrobe.

Ten years after taking office, the announcement of his departure has arrived. The Spring/Summer 2027 collection marks Anthony Vaccarello &#39;s final tenure as creative director of the French fashion house.

Anthony Vaccarello Steps Down as Creative Director of Saint Laurent

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