Saint Laurent pre fall 2020 menswear review
The Saint Laurent pre fall 2020 menswear collection was a digital lookbook presented by creative director Anthony Vaccarello. Although a digital presentation, it was easy to paint a picture of the target demographic. The Saint Laurent customer is on a diet of black coffe for breakfast, celery and ice cubes for lunch and cocaine for dinner. Listens to The velvet underground and likes Robert Mapplethorpe's photography. Vaccarello has created a brand image and he knows his customer which is seen in his collection and advertisement. And in the middle of a pandemic it’s probably a smart move to stick to your brand image, beacuse your customers will stay loyal.
As for the collection itself, it drew references to beatnik culture in New York, for example the looks with worn denim jeans and a well tailored jacket. The beatnik culture was literary and social movement in New York during the late 1950’s and the early 1960’s. It was defined by poets like Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac. Ginsberg’s poem “Howl” is said to be the starting point of the Beat movement in 1955 as its decadent and vulgar lyrics created controversy.
Vaccarello also told Vogue magazine that he was inspired by French musician Serge Gainsbourg and that it felt natural to start the design process with a pinstriped jacket with blue denim, a khaki shirt and classic mens shoes in his mind. The french musician was mostly seen in a double breasted suit which was the opening look of the show and it’s also easy to picture him in one of the many breton shirts from the collection.
Overall the collection was simple, yet effective. It catered to the classic Saint Laurent demographic, tall boys with slender legs and heroin chic looks. It also served well done tailoring and eye catching accessories such as mid-high heeled patent boots.
Sources:
https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/pre-fall-2020-menswear/saint-laurent
https://litteraturhistorien.se/the-beat-generation.html
https://www.pinterest.se/pin/569635052873209758/
https://www.pinterest.se/pin/469289223675462086/