While most brands look to glam and sophistication in a return of the roaring '20s, Saint Laurent is leaning into an imperfect, glamorous mess.
Releasing its Fall 2021 ready-to-wear collection, the French fashion house broadcast “Where the Silver Wind Blows” across its social media channels. Led by house Creative Director Anthony Vaccarello, the video depicts the brand’s clothes as much as the epic cliffs and waterfalls of the secret location.
Against the grays and silvers of an almost apocalyptic volcanic background, Saint Laurent's looks brought bright colors to the forefront. Vaccarello called back to the “colors of the ‘80s” for the 2021 iteration, featuring heavy use of violet, cobalt, gold and chartreuse.
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Largely inspired by Canadian musician Peaches (who also starred in the brand’s fashion show), the collection featured a mixture of patterns and silhouettes from the past six decades. From boxy blazers and peep-toe stilettos, to body suits and nothing else, the collection stood in stark contrast to the location’s mystique.
“It’s the idea of a girl in a landscape where she doesn’t belong,” Vaccarello told Vogue. “I knew I wanted a wintry location which showed how strong nature is; how we are really nothing next to it; how ephemeral we are.”
Walking against the wind in nature’s runway, models’ hair was pulled by the wind to reveal long, flowing jackets and heavily-studded chokers rich in jewels. The four-leaf-clover motif, pulled from the Saint Laurent archives, was a strong feature in this year’s collection. Mostly shown in navy blue chokers, the pattern is the star of the collection’s bijoux.
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The true star of the show, however, were the miniskirts. While the fashion world has largely adopted oversized silhouettes, extending onto the skinny-vs-straight jeans debate, Vaccarello leaned into the opposite. Tweed suit sets contrasted with metallic bodysuits. Whether completely in tweed, or as part of the collection’s interplay of plush fake fur and lush leather, the suits were certainly a highlight of the show.
The finishing piece, a black dress paired with white leather boots, finished the collection with a nod to 2000’s electroclash. Paired with waterfall silver earrings and a bold silver choker, the piece went back to classics.
Read more about the Saint Laurent collection through Vogue, and check out the full collection below.
Photography by: YouTube video
