Saint Laurent resurrects the sleazy erotic thriller protagonist for AW24

Sex on the silver screen might have fallen out of favour with Gen Z, with a 2023 report claiming kids are more into movies about friendship and platonic love, but Anthony Vacarello was having none of that at his ‘secret’ Saint Laurent Men’s show. 

Taking place on the last day of the AW24 Paris men’s season, the designer took over landmark building Bourse de Commerce – where Arca and Björk got behind the decks in fresh-off-the-runway Rick Owens just a few nights before – and sent out a collection that tapped into the red-hot erotic thrillers of the 80s and 90s. 

Seemingly referencing Richard Gere in blockbuster 1980 movie American Gigolo, the first model out of the gate also felt like an homage to Yves himself, with his slick blow-dried hair pushed back off his face and a pair of elegant black-rimmed glasses perched on his nose. 

That first look, meanwhile, consisted of a louche, double-breasted jacket, which came slightly oversized, and a slouchy pair of straight-cut wide-legged trousers. The models that followed, followed suit: on some, blazers had been removed to reveal silk button-downs, with the fuss and flounce of the pussybows and chiffon trains seen across the last few Saint Laurent outings switched out for something a lot cleaner, but just as sensual.

Linking the men’s with the women’s collection, shown just a week before, were the slinky little wig caps many models wore, the mushroom-y, muted colour palette, and a series of slick, wipe-clean boxy black leather jackets. With the addition of the guys’ matching peaked hats, the looks became subversive and almost pleasingly perverse – you could almost imagine the protagonist running through a storm, raindrops splattering against the material and trickling off its hem.

With the runways awash with willowy silhouettes, and labels ranging all the way from Prada and Miu Miu, to rising London star Aaron Esh pushing the fashion pendulum in the direction of skinny jeans and cigarette pants, Vaccarello continues to successfully march to the beat of his own drum. The kids might not be snapping up cinema tickets for steamy films, but on the runway, it felt like an appealing proposition. With this collection, sex, and Saint Laurent, is highly likely to sell.