Saint Laurent Summer 2026
Kicking off Paris Fashion Week on September 29th, Anthony Vaccarello showcased his summer 2026 collection for Saint Laurent womenswear. Taking place at nighttime at the Parisian Fontaine du Trocadéro, with the Eiffel Tower twinkling in the background, this was Vaccarello’s 30th show for the Maison. Quite a milestone.
The Belgian designer has been the creative director of Saint Laurent since 2016, a position he doesn’t intend to give up anytime soon. More than a scholar of the label’s founder, Yves Saint Laurent, and his past collections, Vaccarello has a true passion for the brand. That is perhaps why it seems so easy for him to transform historical YSL pieces into current coveted items of clothing. For the summer 2026 show, Vaccarello put together an unforgettable spectacle for true lovers of the house.
The opening act
Saint Laurent’s DNA is provocative yet feminine, sexy but elegant. As this season’s press release highlighted, “The Saint Laurent woman is both heroine and classic, singular and multifaceted.” Opening the summer 2026 show, marching past poetic white hydrangeas, a model wore a black leather pencil skirt and oversized matching jacket. Underneath the thick-looking outerwear, a white cotton blouse with cuffed sleeves and a gigantic pussy-bow detail. White pumps, see-through smoky tights, and maxi jewellery completed the look. The Saint Laurent woman was ready for the night.
During this part of the show, variations of the first look appeared in sequence, with a seductive army of models displaying a total of 15 distinct leather styles. All of them were inspired by the legacy of American photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, a reference also used by Vaccarello to design the brand’s latest autumn/winter menswear collection. Mapplethorpe and Yves Saint Laurent were friends and work collaborators, with the photographer being responsible for some of the most iconic Saint Laurent menswear campaigns around the ‘80s.
Some looks were head-to-toe leather, often paired with belts to cinch the waist. Maxi earrings and oversized black sunglasses à la Charli XCX gave flair to the styling. The blouse and skirt combo also came in chocolate brown, with 80s-inspired, biker, and straight-silhouette jackets added to the collection. Dropped to the edge of the cotton blouse, the pussybow detail was also adorning deep V necklines.
Part two: a love letter to the archives
Contrasting with the heaviness of leather, the second part of the Saint Laurent summer 2026 show brought lightness to the catwalk. Colourful, parachute-like trench coats with high necks shared the spotlight, along with sheer dresses, tops, and skirts, all made of thin-weight nylon. The models appeared to float around, comfortably revealing nothing but bare skin under the windbreaker-resembling garments.
The styles were a nod to Yves Saint Laurent’s Rive Gauche range, launched by the brand’s founder in 1966. Back then, Saint Laurent, in his words, was tired of “making dresses for jaded billionaires” and opened a ready-to-wear boutique under his name. He then created the Rive Gauche line as a more accessible option for those who couldn’t afford couture pieces, becoming the first couturier in fashion to make the revolutionary move.
Maxi sunglasses and dramatic jewellery continued to appear throughout this part of the show. Repeating the same styling formula, opaque tights and a multitude of different-coloured heels kept Saint Laurent’s seductive aura alive.
A Grand Finale
Opulence ruled the third and final chapter of the Saint Laurent summer 2026 collection. A range of ruffled gowns in earthy and jewel tones stated the beautiful plurality of the Saint Laurent woman. Despite the voluminous silhouettes, the dresses also seemed light as a feather, some of them crafted in see-through fabrics. Resembling Belle Époque styles, the looks were technically constructed to appeal to a modern-day audience, something that Vaccarello doesn’t fail to achieve.
Two were the designer’s main inspirations for this section of the show. First, the “spirit” of the Duchess of Guermantes, a character from the series of novels ‘In Search of Lost Time’ (‘À la recherche du temps perdu,’ in French), by the French novelist Marcel Proust. Secondly, ‘The Portrait of Madame X,’ a well-known 1884 painting by American artist John Singer Sargent, which portrays the Parisian socialite Virginie Amélie Avegno Gautreau. Considered scandalous at the time, the portrait showcases Gautreau wearing a black evening dress with a heart-shaped, prominent neckline. In Vaccarello’s vision, powerful women are definitely timeless.
Shop the collection
The Saint Laurent spring/summer 2026 ready-to-wear collection is available for purchase through the label’s official website, as well as selected stores and retailers worldwide. By clicking on this link, you can find items across womenswear, including handbags, shoes, and accessories.
The brand also offers a range of beauty products, from fragrance to makeup. Items from the YSL Beauty line can be purchased through its main online channels.
Signature boutiques and luxury department stores also carry items from past collections. You can use the store locator on the brand’s website to find your closest option.
If you opt for buying through Saint Laurent’s official website, there are some important details to consider. When it comes to deliveries, YSL ships its purchased items via DHL, with an estimated delivery time ranging from 3 to 5 business days. If you are unhappy with your purchase and decide to return an item, you have 30 calendar days to do so, counting from receiving your parcel. This is a free-of-charge service.
See Also…
Words by Ketlyn Araujo. The sources of information and images are from Paris Fashion Week and Saint Laurent.
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