He turned black into a signature and the Eiffel Tower into his preferred backdrop. Anthony Vaccarello leaves Saint Laurent, ten years after his appointment as artistic director on April 4, 2016. The news, announced this Friday, October 9, 2026 by Kering, owner of the house, marks the end of a long chapter in an fashion industry where creative directors now change almost as quickly as the collections. The group applauds his influence on Saint Laurent's image and cultural reach, without specifying the reasons for his departure.
Having arrived in the wake of Hedi Slimane’s exit, the Belgian-born designer of Italian roots had already earned a reputation for sharp tailoring. A graduate of La Cambre in Brussels, he cut his teeth at Fendi before launching his own label in 2009, then moving to Versus Versace, where he was named artistic director in 2015. His career has been defined by asymmetric cuts, body-skimming silhouettes, and an unapologetic sensuality.
At Saint Laurent, Vaccarello has carried on this exploration of contrasts: powerful shoulders, impeccably tailored tuxedos, draped gowns, sheer fabrics and endlessly long legs. A wardrobe that is at once austere and provocative, drawn from Yves Saint Laurent's archives, yet fully anchored in its era. His first show, unveiled on September 27, 2016 on Rue de Bellechasse, set the tone.
But reducing his tenure to a matter of stilettos and plunging necklines would miss the point. Anthony Vaccarello has also pulled Saint Laurent out of its wardrobe. In 2019, he conceived Saint Laurent Rive Droite, a hybrid space that blends fashion, photography, music, design and collectible objects, housed on rue Saint-Honoré in Paris, in the former colette premises. A way to extend the Rive Gauche spirit, born in 1966, onto a completely different playing field.
In 2024, Anthony Vaccarello expands the Saint Laurent with Babylone universe, a bookstore-gallery tucked at 9 rue de Grenelle in Paris’s 7th arrondissement. Beautiful books, vinyl records, photography and exhibitions: the designer nurtures the house’s artistic passions, far from the runway but still true to Saint Laurent’s aesthetic. A venue that also resonates with the Sèvres-Babylone district, beloved by Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé.
The designer is pushing the house further into art and cinema, notably through the SELF project, linked with figures like Gaspar Noé or Wong Kar-wai, then Saint Laurent Productions. The label no longer settles for dressing Cannes Film Festival stars; it also takes part in film production.
And the numbers followed suit for much of its tenure. Saint Laurent’s revenue topped 3 billion euros in 2023, before easing in 2024 and 2025 amid a cooling luxury market. A decade that has combined spectacular expansion with more recent commercial headwinds.
The casting remains open. In its statement, Kering says that a new creative direction will be unveiled soon, without naming anyone or setting a date. No successor has yet been officially announced, despite the speculation buzzing around the fashion world for weeks.
As for Anthony Vaccarello, his next move remains unclear. Will he return to his own label, join a new house, or embark on a project away from the catwalks? Nothing has been officially announced.
