Paris Fashion Week: Saint Laurent unveils biker jackets and ruffled gowns, and a Virgil Abloh exhibition opens
The dazzling Saint Laurent show was inspired by John Singer Sargent’s subjects and Robert Mapplethorpe – and Madonna was in the front row
The highlight of day one of Paris Fashion Week, which began yesterday, was the Saint Laurent show, which as always took place at night right across from a sparkling Eiffel Tower after sunset.
On the creative side, however, designer Anthony Vaccarello is still in charge and still going strong after almost 10 years at the Parisian label. His high-octane shows are always the talk of the town at Paris Fashion Week.
For the set of the spring/summer 2026 show, Saint Laurent built a manicured garden of hydrangeas that spelled the brand’s iconic initials when seen from above.
The show began with a series of broad-shouldered biker jackets in leather paired with matching pencil skirts and worn with white blouses with huge bows. They were inspired by the style of photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, who was active in the 1980s – a pivotal time for Saint Laurent and a decade that Vaccarello often revisits.
After that monochrome and slightly subdued start, colour made a dramatic entrance with sleek trench coats and dresses in rich hues such as burgundy and copper, all made of sheer techno fabrics.
The final parade of ruffled gowns, also in the same technical textiles, was a homage to the female subjects of 19th century painter John Singer Sargent.