Quietly, Saucily, Saint Laurent Swaggered Its Way to the Top of Fashion
Highsnobiety is a global fashion and media brand passionate about product and the stories that shape them.
If you've been sleeping on Saint Laurent, it's time to wake up.
Saint Laurent is in the middle of a major come-up, one that's been characteristically quiet. The luxury label, overseen by creative director Anthony Vaccarello since 2016, isn't big on the bold colors and wild silhouettes favored by some of its fashion colleagues, only ensuring that its rise in relevance was that much easier to miss if you weren't already paying attention.
Consider Saint Laurent's decidedly dapper Fall/Winter 2025 men's collection a stylish mission statement for its contemporary cool.
The new collection is made magic by generous plaid blazers and sleek leather trousers with shiny thigh-high boots to match.
saint laurent, Press
saint laurent, Press
saint laurent, Press
saint laurent, Press
saint laurent, Press
saint laurent, Press
saint laurent, Press
It’s a tastefully mild shakeup of the design language epitomized by last winter’s collection, a far subtler affair anchored by similarly trim and often saucily unbuttoned silhouettes.
The suited ‘n booted temperament that’s long guided Saint Laurent's menswear remains present, but the potential mundanity of its conventional white collar workwear is made dynamic.
Notice, for instance, the splashy yellows and warm hues that level-up otherwise crisply classic turtlenecks and leather bombers, bringing in some additional eye candy to already tasty textural treats.
Saint Laurent's signature all-black outfits were also present but spiced up with lush fur coats and trenches worthy of Wesley Snipes in Blade. It's the same YSL recipe, just with some fresh ingredients. And the final result? Delish.
YSL’s FW25 collection is strong enough on its own merits but it’s also additional evidence that the Parisian label is tapping the cultural vein. It’s now the second hottest brand in fashion, according to the Q4 2024 Lyst index, bested only by Miu Miu’s enduring virality. Honestly, fair.
However, that Saint Laurent now ranks above Prada (you know, the brand that’s literally going to space) indicates a shift that extends beyond clothes.
For one, YSL has its hands in quite a few pots, including the entertainment industry — Saint Laurent Productions co-produced saucy musical flick Emilia Peréz, which brought home four Golden Globes in January and scored an Academy Award nom for Best Picture.
It was a whole thing.
Beyond the award show glitz, the Emilia Peréz cast was also well-fitted. Saint Laurent is responsible for that, too, as costume designer Virginie Montel dug into Saint Laurent's archives to dress the film’s stars.
It doesn’t hurt that the Goop queen herself, Gwyneth Paltrow, helped boost the edgy allure of Saint Laurent.
The Iron Man star traded in her other quietly luxurious fashions for well-proportioned suits and black leather jackets to star in Saint Laurent’s Spring 2025 campaign.
And then you have Saint Laurent’s mastery of the accessory game — specifically, bags. Like, when Rihanna’s toting your giant fur purse, you know you’re doing something right.
