At Saint Laurent Spring 2026, Power Dressing Is the Uniform
The latest collection by Anthony Vaccarello shouted more, more, more—with volume, big shoulders, and ’80s references galore.
Saint Laurent’s typically star-studded front row (which, for spring 2026, featured Hailey Bieber, Rosé of Blackpink, and Charli xcx, among many other celebs) got a larger-than-life upgrade when the French brand held its runway show on September 29 at Trocadéro garden, where thousands of hydrangeas were shaped into the interlocking YSL logo. Models wound through the maze-like space while Madonna, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Zoë Kravitz watched the new collection debut under the backdrop of the glittering Eiffel Tower.
Designer Anthony Vaccarello made one prevailing statement: embrace your personal style via strong, highly specific uniforms. The collection was broken up into segments—big jackets with slender skirts or flowing, floor-length babydoll dresses. Consider it a kind of world-building, especially when it came to the colors; strong, directional silhouettes had highly pigmented natural shades like chocolate brown, charcoal, and olive green. Big shoulders, a house signature that Vaccarello has made his own, could be seen from a mile away. These were powerful looks that took up space, and were made to dominate.
“In a time when dialogue is fading, style becomes a form of discourse—not one that imposes, but one that connects and adds nuance,” the show notes stated. “Where words divide, the Saint Laurent aesthetic creates space to breathe and invent new analogies.”
Huge white bows were at the core of the collection, peeking out of oversize shirts or hanging off worn-in leather bombers. Paired with pencil skirts in matching fabrications, they worked in tandem with the final gowns—massive sheer ruffle dresses that rippled in the breeze. Statuesque and with a major physical presence, these frocks were a clear reference to the 1976 Ballet Russes collection designed by Yves Saint Laurent himself. Glossy trench coat dresses in shades of marigold and ochre popped against the surrounding flora.
Among all those luscious leathers, Saint Laurent riffed on everything ’80s for accessories. Models donned a slew of aviator-style shield sunglasses, and jewelry came in the form of hulking, monumental gold earrings embedded with vintage-inspired cabochons. Matching pendant necklaces dripped between the more-is-more ruffles. Opulence, excess, and those bold, strong shoulders? They’re built to stand out—not just for next season, but for generations.
