Anthony Vaccarello Is Leaving Saint Laurent After 10 Years

Fashion’s fame of creative directors never seems to stop, and now, even the old reliables are no longer. On Friday, it was announced that Anthony Vaccarello is stepping down from his role as creative director of Saint Laurent.

Vaccarello held the position for a decade after taking over for Hedi Slimane in 2016. While there, Vaccarello made Saint Laurent one of the most profitable and stable brands in parent company Kering’s stable. He created a world of high glamour and even higher heels, which enjoyed commercial and a growing consensus of critical success throughout his collection. As of March 2025, Vaccarello managed to turn Saint Laurent into a $3 billion business. Vaccarello started many trends on the red carpet in recent years, ushering in a return to ’80s extravagance and a new embrace of the nylon windbreaker. He also brought an immense amount of star power to the brand, working with Kate Moss, Hailey Bieber, Charli XCX, Zoë Kravitz, and more throughout his tenure. When the brand announced pop culture sensation Connor Storrie as an ambassador earlier this year, Vaccarello simply told GQ, “I know everyone is fighting over him. And if you fight, I take.”

“I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Anthony for his contribution to Saint Laurent over the past ten years,” said Luca de Meo, CEO of Kering, in a statement. “Through his creative vision and exacting standards, he has contributed to strengthening the enduring influence of one of France's greatest couture Houses, as we embark on a new chapter in its history."

Though there were rumors circulating about an impending departure, Vaccarello’s decision to leave still comes as a bit of a shock. It is not often designers leave a brand during such a prosperous moment like the one Saint Laurent has been enjoying under Vacarello. According to Puck, the designer does not have another job lined up at the moment and he plans to take some time to consider his next step.

Vacarello, 44, was born and raised in Brussels, Belgium, to Italian parents and attended the prestigious art school La Cambre in his home city. His 2006 graduate collection, inspired by the Italian porn star and politician, La Cicciolina, won the grand prize at the Hyères International Festival of Fashion and Photography and caught the eye of Karl Lagerfeld, who eventually hired Vaccarello to work at Fendi. “I love Rome, but I was a little bored,” Vaccarello told W of his time at Fendi. “Karl did everything, and I did not really see how there was any room for advancement.” After just two years, Vaccarello left Fendi and moved to Paris. Despite much advice against it, Vaccarello launched his own label alongside his longtime partner and fellow designer Arnaud Michaux. He gained recognition for his strong, sexy designs and made fans out of Lou Doillon and Anja Rubik. He won the ANDAM Fashion Award in 2011, and the next year, dressed Rubik in a headline-making Met Gala dress with a slit so high it exposed her hip bone.

In 2015, Vaccarello was named the creative director of Versus Versace, Versace’s diffusion line. He only stayed there for one year, however, before he heard from Saint Laurent. “I was happy where I was, doing my thing,” Vaccarello says of that time. “I was called to meet [Kering executives] Monsieur Pinault and Francesca Bellettini because they were looking for someone for Saint Laurent, which has always seemed, to me, the absolute holy grail. I always thought that it would take years to be able to be the designer of a house like Saint Laurent, but it didn’t. I started on May 1, 2016.”

Immediately, Vaccarello’s Saint Laurent caught everyone’s attention, thanks in part to the extravagance of his Eiffel Tower-set fashion shows, which have now become a brand signature. Saint Laurent became a constant carpet presence as Vaccarello began collecting A-list fans, including Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Selena Gomez, and Zoe Saldaña. The latter two also starred in the musical/crime film Emilia Pérez, a film Vaccarello produced through Saint Laurent Productions, which he launched in 2023. That year alone, the production company had three films in competition at Cannes, including Emilia Pérez. In 2024, he also opened up Babylone, a bookstore and gallery on the Rue de Grenelle in Paris. Vaccarello also has two young children with Michaux.

The Saint Laurent universe has built will come to an end with his last collection during the most recent Paris Fashio Week. Shown in the shadow of the Eifel Tower, the collection was almost entirely gold. Though there was no official announcement at the time, many understood it to be his last show.

The head position of Saint Laurent is a highly coveted one, thanks in large part to Yves Saint Laurent’s immense legacy and archive. Those same people who were whispering about Vaccarello’s departure have also been spreading around the name Chemena Kamali as a possible replacement. Kamali has been enjoying a lot of success at Chloé following her appointment in 2023. Before her current job, Kamali worked as the women’s design director under Vaccarello at Saint Laurent. During her seven years there, she played a major role in shaping Vaccarello’s Saint Laurent. If she were to get the job, it would act as a bit of a reunion for her. She would also be the brand’s first female creative director.