Anthony Vaccarello is named YSL creative director

Anthony Vaccarello has been named as Hedi Slimane’s successor at the helm of Saint Laurent, it was announced earlier this week.

As the latest in what feels like a pandemic of designer turnovers, it feels like another significant blow to the industry. Over the past four years, Slimane has completely reinvented the YSL brand (even dropping the “Yves” from the name), bringing it sharply into the modern world and proving his own worth as a designer and a businessman.

However, as one era ends, another begins – the age of Vaccarello has begun.

A modest, quietly confident Belgian, Anthony Vaccarello launched his eponymous womenswear line five years ago, after a stint working with Karl Lagerfeld at Fendi. He leaves behind his post at Versus Versace, where he has been in charge of both men’s and womenswear after being scouted by Donatella herself just one year ago.

You may not be familiar with his name (yet), but you’ll almost certainly know his designs – whilst by all accounts Vaccarello is a low-key character, his clothes are anything but. Instantly recognisable for their provocative cut-outs, sensual silhouettes and thigh-high slits, the designer’s high-octane dresses have become popular amongst a celebrity clientele, and he now counts Gwyneth Paltrow, Miley Cyrus, Jennifer Lopez and Gisele Bundchen amongst his fans.

Francesca Bellettini, president and CEO of Saint Laurent, sums up why Vaccarello is a perfect fit: “He impeccably balances elements of provocative femininity and sharp masculinity in his silhouettes,” she explains. “He is the natural choice to express the essence of Yves Saint Laurent.”

The bar has been set high, and Vaccarello has some big shoes to fill – however, if anyone is fit to build on the legacies of Saint Laurent and Slimane, then surely it will be him.

Anthony Vaccarello’s first collection for the house will be presented at Paris Fashion Week spring 2017.

Grace Cain