Anthony Vaccarello has been announced as the new designer of Saint Laurent.
The 33 year-old Italian-Belgian designer had been repeatedly slated to replace former helmsman Hedi Slimane at the storied French fashion house.
'Mr Saint Laurent is a legendary figure for his creativity, style and audacity. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the history of this extraordinary house,' said Vaccarello in a statement.
François-Henri Pinault, chairman and CEO of Kering, the parent company that owns ysl, added: 'I am very proud to welcome such a vivid and young force among today’s creative fashion talents to Yves Saint Laurent. Anthony Vaccarello’s unique style will greatly express the maison’s creative signature and fashion authority, building on the brand’s solid foundations, and further developing it to realise its full potential. Together with the entire Yves Saint Laurent team, Anthony Vaccarello will strongly contribute to the maison’s growing accomplishments.'
Whispers stepped up a gear on Friday when Slimane finally announced his long-rumoured departure. They were further ramped up on Monday morning when Vaccarello stepped down from his position as creative director of Versace sister line Versus, clearly positioning himself to take Slimane’s former role.
Donatella Versace, who brought him into the Italian brand in January 2015, commented of his departure: ‘While I'm sad to see him leave the Versace family, I wish [him] tremendous success with his next chapter.’
In taking the job he becomes the sixth ready-to-wear designer to succeed the brand’s eponymous founder Yves Saint Laurent.
His predecessor Slimane controversially removed ‘Yves’ from the name of fashion house’s ready-to-wear collections, showing and selling then under the label Saint Laurent. Whether Vaccarello will maintain this or revert back to the full, famous moniker is as yet unknown.
He will show his first collection at Paris Fashion Week in October.
Who is Anthony Vaccarello?
Vaccarello graduated from Belgian design school La Cambre in 2006.
His graduate thesis was so highly commended that it won him the top award at the 2006 Hyères Festival, and led to a two-year stint at Fendi’s Rome atelier, where he worked on the house’s fur offering.
In 2008, he founded his eponymous, Paris-based label, which has become known for its sensual, revealing designs.
‘Maybe because I’m half-Italian and half-Belgian, I strive for both a kind of sensuality and a control and construction,’ he told Interview magazine last year. ‘It’s sexy because the girl is wearing the dress. It’s not my first goal when I’m making the collection.’
He began collaborating with Versus Versace in December 2013, designing a number of well-received capsule collections before being announced as the new permanent creative director of the brand, which is overseen by Versace creative director Donatella Versace, in January 2015.
