Review: Saint Laurent Men’s Fall/Winter 2024 – Sartorial Alchemy, From Rigor to Revere

Text by Mark Benjamin

At the heart of Saint Laurent's Winter 2024 menswear collection lies a dual invocation: a tribute to the brand's storied past and a forward-looking vision under the masterful direction of Anthony Vaccarello. This season, Vaccarello returns the brand to Bourse de Commerce and looks to the designer himself, the legendary Yves Saint Laurent, who revolutionized the way we perceive menswear. Laurent famously combined an irresistible androgyny rooted in traditional menswear silhouettes. It is this allure of Parisian sophistication with a touch of rebellious spirit that continues to be a hallmark of Anthony Vaccarello's vision.

The show commenced with an unmistakable nod to the boxier silhouettes of the 1980s, echoing the era's signature power dressing with double-breasted suits, resolute peak lapels, and assertive pinstripes. Yet, this was thankfully no pastiche; it was a reinvention. As the parade of models began, the rigid lines of formality unraveled, introducing a fluidity and ease. The suits, while loose-fitting, were far from lax; they whispered of elegance through their precision and fluid motion.

As much a welcomed touch of nostalgia from a bygone era, the collection reveals a second masterstroke: Vaccarello's own rebellion against the sloshy casualness of his contemporaries in recent seasons. A negotiated and refined approach to modernize a silhouette that has found itself in the dusty online shopping carts of the current era. Who better to make us fall in love with formalwear again than the designer who reshaped it? Vaccarello seems to ask.

The collection revels in texture and structure, from the lustrous sheen of satin lapels to the intricate construction of wrap peacoats. Leather silhouettes—cut with precision—ushered in a bold yet streamlined profile, as exemplified by a standout piece: a rubber peacoat with a leather hat, a masterful reinterpretation of a 1960s archival gem.

Delving deeper into the visual story, the color palette traverses from somber to sublime, with dusty nudes, serene greens, and delicate violets. Monochrome wardrobing, anchored in a neutral palette, finds a paradoxical friend in silent rebellion against conformity. This gradient not only represented a seasonal shift but also mirrored Yves Saint Laurent's own sartorial journey—from earnest beginnings to a daring embrace of color and form. A pair of Rothko-esque silk tops exemplified this colorful evolution, symbolizing the collection's daring yet understated panache.

There is a bold steeliness to the Saint Laurent's FW24 Men's collection. One that you can't quite ignore as hard as you may try to escape. Witnessing the show unfold at moments felt like watching a scene from a lost film, long before endless cycles of TikToks referenced American Psycho for its impeccable stylistic influence.

It's no wonder this collection feels at home; it speaks to the broader trend of a resurgence in formalwear within men's fashion. The collection’s return to Yves Saint Laurent’s ethos heralds a refined embrace of 1960s cool. It's about a tailored experience that's as much about the boardroom as it is about the art of dressing. The personal ownership that comes with: tying a Windsor knot and slipping into a pair of high sheen loafers; is difficult to replace.

Elsewhere in the show, the liquid-like drape of crepe georgette jackets with their satin linings glistened beneath the runway lights, billowing as if the fabric itself was in mid-transformation, much like the recently unveiled women's collection, blurring the lines between the tangible and the ephemeral.

Saint Laurent's Winter 2024 menswear collection is a potent blend of past and present, a sartorial exploration of traditional menswear elements with a modern yet timeless, relaxed touch. Anthony Vaccarello continues to pay homage to the rich heritage of the house while steering its aesthetic course toward new horizons, proving that in fashion, as in art, the magic lies in perpetual reinvention.

If there is a lesson to take from this collection, it may be in the form of a poignant response to an incessant deluge of endless self-indulging attention. To disappear into familiar shapes; a compelling sea of sartorial suiting, seems to instill a new sense of aspiration, albeit an unexpected form of rebellion.

Without exception, Vaccarello's Saint Laurent is perhaps demonstrating the greatest fashion rebellion of all: remaining steadfast to the pioneering standards the brand has always endured. This non-compromising stance may be seen as a risky, if not painstaking, endeavor amidst the tumultuous fashion landscape, but it is this dignified torch bearing that sets the collection apart from its peers. And despite the burden, under Anthony Vaccarello's infinitely meticulous eye, Saint Laurent's mastery of the sartorial arts remains as compelling and relevant as ever.