Yves Saint Laurent, under the creative direction of Stefano Pilati, follows a straight, strict and sensual path, so for his A/W12 collection, themed around 'Sex and Money', Pilati went for a harsh colour palette and sturdy leathers. Just about all outfits shown at the Sorbonne featured black leather details, some of them were even made up of nothing but leather, evoking not only military uniform references but also a strong fetish aspect. The elegantly disciplined looks focused on the torso and a silhouette of layered jackets, coats with doubled up lapels and fur-collared pea coats.

A white shirt with a black tie or a scrunched up leather scarf was tastefully the only thing visible underneath the outerwear. Also a grey section of flannel suits and v-neck waistcoats was introduced, where we saw wool trousers with black leather panelling, making the bottom halves as prominent as the coats. Pilati continued his excursion into the dark and murky side by chucking in biker jackets - some of them long enough to qualify as coats - before showing the only piece with a clear graphic message; a black cashmere knitted jumper with silver razor blades woven in to the front, back and arms.