Everyone knows this painting: an elegant woman standing next to a wooden table. Her skin, white like porcelain, truly glows in front of a dark wall. The dress is black, long, with a heart-shaped décolleté. She looks dreamy, a bit lost in thought, gazing to the side, revealing the shape of her neck and embracing the soft features of her shoulders. It’s Madame X by John Singer Sargent — a scandalous, sensual painting from the 1880s. A painting that almost ruined the painter’s career and the model’s social standing within Paris’ elite. A painting that inspired photoshoots with Nicole Kidman, captured by Steven Meisel; Anne Hathaway for Vogue’s August issue. And now, Saint Laurent’s Spring/Summer 2026 collection.
At least that’s one inspiration creative director Anthony Vaccarello worked with. When the models entered the runway in front of the Eiffel Tower, alongside a beautiful flower garden of white hydrangeas shaped like the YSL logo, multiple personas were awakened. The Duchess of Guermantes, for example, the fictional character from Marcel Proust’s novel cycle In Search of Lost Time. A queen of Parisian high society admired for her wit, elegance, and aristocratic lineage. As well as the American artist and photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, known for his excessive lifestyle, his many relationships, and his often homoerotic imagery. Work that made him so popular that Andy Warhol, Richard Gere, Grace Jones, and Patti Smith all sat in front of his camera in the early ‘80s.
But the narrative is not only about different historical figures. Alongside Madame X, the Duchess, and Mapplethorpe, the collection also serves as an homage to the world of Rive Gauche, the southern bank of the Seine. An area associated with the Belle Époque, with artists, bohemians, and intellectuals. Its creative and countercultural spirit, and of course, a reference to Yves Saint Laurent’s 1966 ready-to-wear line.
Therefore, the Spring/Summer 2026 collection by Vaccarello spins a tale about inclusion and resistance. About respect and a dialogue that connects in a time when words so often divide. It’s a story about a provocative, powerful woman — both heroine and classic socialite. Singular yet multifaceted. A woman allowed to breathe, to be seductive, and to invent new analogies.
To capture this spirit, the creative director staged a runway show divided into three main chapters that moved from hard to soft. As the sun set and the French capital’s romantic skyline began to shine in its distinctive golden tones, the first looks of the collection emerged: strong leather jackets with wide, powerful shoulders, dark sunglasses, and pencil skirts. Models wore white blousons with large bows in the front and exaggerated balloon-shaped sleeves. A shiny vest with an asymmetrical silver zipper. A leather corset paired with a black hat that could belong to a policeman, a sailor, Tom of Finland, or guests at a queer club in Berlin — a tribute to both Mapplethorpe and cruising culture.
From there, the looks transitioned into nylon trench coats in similar silhouettes and a captivating autumnal palette: dark blue, olive, beige, orange, petrol, deep green, yellow, and a red like a glass of stale Bordeaux wine. Elevated and elegant, looks that served as a bridge from the provocative leather pieces to the historical silhouettes that closed the collection.
Because as the show continued, models in long, flowing A-line gowns made their way around the hydrangeas. With long trains and endless ruffles, they all appeared similarly styled and modestly dressed — but on closer inspection, the sheer, airy fabrics revealed intimate glimpses of the wearer’s body. Deep necklines invited a glance at bare skin, made even more sensual, provocative, forbidden, and desirable through the surrounding textures. These three stages of the seductive, powerful, and provocative Saint Laurent woman were woven together by decadent jewellery: big dangling earrings and necklaces embellished with what looked like rubies, emeralds, and sapphires — crown jewels for Paris’ socialites.
Looking at the shapes, the textures, the sunglasses, and the colours, the Spring/Summer 2026 collection is clearly a continuation of the menswear line Vaccarello showed in June. And although neither Mapplethorpe nor Madame X are new sources of inspiration, the pieces deservedly created a breathtaking atmosphere that allowed you to dive into erotic, historical femininity and sexuality — to discover more and more seductive details as the designs moved, and to dream (as Vaccarello intended) about inclusivity, resistance, and respect. Three words that echo the mantra of the French Revolution: égalité, fraternité, liberté. Could be the same. Just in modern times. Values that would have made Madame X’s life definitely easier.
