Unlike Dior which played with a lot of suspense before announcing who would be Raf Simon’s successor, Saint Laurent Paris wasted no time in naming Anthony Vaccarello as their new creative director.
His first show under the said role will come in Spring 2017, following the footsteps of photographer and visionary Hedi Slimane who confirmed his departure from Saint Laurent Paris just three days ago.
Anthony has stepped down from his duties from Versus Versace (the announcement of that was made a few hours before the news at Saint Laurent came in) and closed up shop for the time being at his namesake brand upon accepting the coveted title.
Of course, top fashion publications picked up on the news mere minutes after the official statement was released. These include simple news pieces to short profile pieces illustrating his accomplishments so far.
It's official! @anthonyvacc is the new creative director of @YSL: https://t.co/UHxUvDkJD8
— WWD (@wwd) April 5, 2016
Congratulations are in order for *Saint Laurent's* @anthonyvacc! https://t.co/fSjFfaXSeX pic.twitter.com/19tpxfwv92
— i-D (@i_D) April 4, 2016
Christina Binkley of the Wall Street Journal was also quick to comment how Anthony is the third Versus Versace alum, the first two being Christopher Kane and JW Anderson, who moved on to make their own mark in fashion design after leaving Versus.
https://twitter.com/BinkleyOnStyle/status/716994132476989440?s=17
The same sentiment was echoed by The New York Times Styles editor Stuart Emmrich.
With Kane, Anderson and now Vaccarello, Versace Versus has proven to be reliable incubator of rising fashion talent https://t.co/rZC1cIXrRM
— stuart emmrich (@StuartEmmrich) April 4, 2016
For the Business of Fashion, Anthony is seen as a fitting choice for Saint Laurent given his “single-mindedness” with his approach to his own label that is “somewhat comparable to Hedi Slimane’s Saint Laurent.”
At 33 years old, Anthony is joining a high-profile list of young designers taking over esteemed fashion houses and injecting a millennial driven energy into them. A once 30-year-old Alexander Wang formerly held the reins at Balenciaga while selfie king Olivier Rousteing has made Balmain into a Hollywood favorite for red carpet events with clients like Rihanna and Kylie Jenner.
Photo courtesy of Sean Cunnigham for CR Fashion Book
