In the upper echelons of conservative, haute couture-wearing circles in Paris in the early Seventies, New York City was viewed as a mecca of glamour, disco and decadence. Nightclubs, like Max’s Kansas City on Park Avenue South, pulsed to vibrant disco beats, revellers were swathed in bias-cut Halston, and Andy Warhol ruled the after-midnight scene. Yves Saint Laurent travelled to New York City in 1972, where he was interviewed for Warhol’s Interview magazine by Bianca Jagger. Six years later he held a extravagant party in Manhattan to celebrate the launch of the brand’s controversial Opium perfume.
On Wednesday, Saint Laurent creative director Anthony Vaccarello extended the New York City-centric history of the Parisian house, holding the brand’s first menswear show on Liberty Island at the mouth of the Hudson River. The designer has a penchant for treating guests to breathtaking views of cities; in Paris, his showspace next to the Fontaine du Trocadéro offers twinkling views of the Eiffel Tower. For Saint Laurent’s open air S/S 2019 menswear show – its seating erected from a huge grid of sleek scaffolding – the shimmering view of the Manhattan skyline reflected across the Hudson.
Former creative director Hedi Slimane reinvented the silhouette of Saint Laurent six years ago, taking many cues from rock and roll. Vaccarello stuck to a musically-inspired silhouette; models strode the catwalk’s dark marble floor in clothing shimmering with disco excess, and evoking exuberant nights of Seventies hedonism.
In 1977, Yves Saint Laurent set off $30,000 dollars worth of fireworks at his brand’s Opium launch party. At Wednesday’s S/S 2019 menswear finale, a series of models paraded in shimmering body paint, a sparkling incarnation of those explosive evenings in Seventies New York.
Related: Saint Laurent A/W 2018
Saint Laurent menswear S/S 2019
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Saint Laurent website
-
Gordon Ramsay Restaurants are taken to new heights with three openings in one of London’s tallest buildingsGordon Ramsay Restaurants open at 22 Bishopsgate, from Asian-inspired cuisine and martini menus at Lucky Cat and Lucky Cat Bar; to an intimate chef's table, and an all-skill level cooking academy
-
Wallpaper* Design Awards 2025: the make-up collections defining contemporary beautyThe beauty winners of the Wallpaper* Design Awards 2025, selected by beauty editor Hannah Tindle, include playful and eclectic make-up collections by Hermès, Celine, Dior, Chanel and Prada
-
Don't miss these seven artists at Frieze Los AngelesFrieze LA returns for its sixth edition, running 20-23 February, showcasing over 100 galleries from more than 20 countries, as well as local staples featuring the city’s leading creatives
-
Summer games, from pétanque to pool floats, get a fashionable spinFrom a luxurious pétanque set to pool floats and playing cards, summer games and toys from the world’s best-known fashion houses
-
Paris Fashion Week A/W 2022: Chanel to Miu MiuIn this extended report, Wallpaper* updates you live from Paris Fashion Week A/W 2022 shows, with rolling coverage as runway events unfold
-
Scene-stealing runway sets from S/S 2022 womenswear showsFrom giant roulette wheels to Olympic diving boards and multi-city synchronized extravaganzas – our pick of the best fashion show sets from S/S 2022 womenswear
-
Paris Fashion Week S/S 2022: Loewe to ChanelFashion Week returns to form in the French capital. Here is everything you need to know about Paris Fashion Week S/S 2022
-
Doug Aitken creates reflective artwork for Saint Laurent in VeniceFor the Saint Laurent S/S 2022 show, the brand’s first physical catwalk presentation since the Covid-19 pandemic began, American artist Doug Aitken created the living artwork Green Lens, on Venice's Isola della Certosa
-
Saint Laurent celebrates 40 years of Memphis GroupMemphis Group's milestone birthday is celebrated with a series of colourful furniture installations across the French maison's concept boutiques
-
Saint Laurent S/S 2020 Paris Fashion Week Women's -
Saint Laurent Men's S/S 2020
