The provocative power of Saint Laurent FW24's transparencies

In 1968, the catwalks were filled with visible breasts as a tool to vindicate sexual freedom and female empowerment. However, it was the completely transparent chiffon dress designed by Yves Saint Laurent that really marked a before and after in the history of fashion. Now, Anthony Vaccarello, the current creative director of the Maison, has once again revived the nude theme with his Fall/Winter 2024 collection presented during Paris Fashion Week.

This time, Anthony Vaccarello does not resort to the house’s historic chiffon, but opts for something more fragile and simple: the mesh of the tights. This extremely tight-fitting, transparent fabric is overlapped to make certain areas of the body more visible, depending on the designer’s needs. Marabou feathers came back from the archives and were used in stoles, oversize coats and maxi bags. Transparency also extended to the jewellery, made of crystal.

The pieces made of mesh tights were combined with midi pencil skirts, oversize blazers, silk dresses, leather jackets, headbands and much more. The creative director’s proposal is an ode to the 70s in terms of women’s liberation. The setting, in the style of a boudoir with surfaces upholstered in damask emerald velvet, was a nod to Marguerite de Saint-Marceau’s iconic 19th century salon where one came to be distracted by music and painting.