The Saint Laurent show of its 2021 Women’s Summer collection had no spectators, or influencers, or fashionistas, just drone photos of models walking on the crest of a high sand dune in the middle of a honey-colored desert.
Every year, France’s top fashion houses compete to find the most amazing places in Paris to host women’s wear shows, but with catwalks closed due to coronavirus infection, brands are now trying to spoil it with amazing places for their online shows only.
Already in the first wave of the pandemic in April, Saint Laurent, who belonged to the Kering area, broke away from the usual twice-yearly calendar of women’s catwalk shows in Paris.
He unveiled his latest collection on Tuesday, designed by Anthony Vaccarello, with a 10-minute fashion film Vaccarello entitled “I Wish You Were Here”.
Models, some of whom struggled to walk in the sand with high heels, wore sensible evening wear, others conservative pantsuits ready for a table.
The models also wore tight-knit skirts tied under black leather jackets, black dresses with a zipper figure from top to bottom, leg halter dresses and gold and black brocade jackets.
Appearances included floral dresses with floral motifs. Many models sport small belt bags with YSL branding to match.
As night fell over the desert – Saint Laurent refused to reveal the location, saying it was just a “desert in the north” – models walked beside a ridge of fire firing at the dock emblem, the flames appearing in the evening polish, gold embroidery. and Claude Lalanne’s designed jewelry.
Saint Laurent described the film as an “invitation to escapism”, without specifying what. From Covid-19, apparently, and from the year 2020.