Following the news of Hedi Slimane’s exit from Saint Laurent after four years of service, the French fashion house has announced his successor in Anthony Vaccarello. “His modern, pure aesthetic is the perfect fit for the maison,” says Francesca Bellettini, president and chief executive of YSL. Known for his often revealing, barely-there dresses—very hubadera with an attitude aesthetic, if we may add—we know for a fact that when his impeccable talent for showing off a woman’s body is matched with YSL’s sharp masculinity and luxurious feel, an explosive collection will be at arm’s reach.
Anja Rubik has been his muse ever since she made a splash in his sexy white frock at the Met Ball in 2012. He even had her face printed on his Spring 2016 dresses.
Vaccarello may be one of the more silent forces of fashion, but he has quite an impressive resume. After graduating with honors at La Cambre, his grad collection didn’t go unnoticed and before he knew it, Karl Lagerfeld had him designing Fendi’s fur line. Not long after, the 36-year-old Belgian designer with Italian roots founded his eponymous label in 2009 (which will be put on hold as he now shifts his full focus on his new seat at the helm of Saint Laurent). In September 2014, he created a capsule collection for Versus. Donatella Versace fell in love and by January 2015, she named him Creative Director. We hear she event sent him a car to sweeten the offer.
“While I’m sad to see him leave the Versace family, I wish Anthony Vaccarello tremendous success with his next chapter” -Donatella Versace
Vaccarello will show his first collection this October for Spring 2017. But we wonder, now that his spot at Versus is up for grabs, who will Donatella pick as his successor? All she has to say is that she will be “surprising everybody.” Can’t wait!
Images from Gamma-Rapho Victor and Dave Kotinsky from Getty and @anthonyvaccarello on Instagram
