By Helen Reid
PARIS, March 3 (Reuters) – Saint Laurent presented a contrasting collection of oversized suits and delicate lace dresses for its winter collection on Tuesday at Paris Fashion Week.
The show opened with a string of power suits in black with large lapels and shoulder pads – evoking the tuxedo for women which French designer Yves Saint Laurent created in 1966 in a break with tradition.
See-through lace dresses and skirts in earthy tones of red, orange and brown were paired with huge fur coats or balanced with chunky jewellery.
Saint Laurent, owned by struggling luxury group Kering, has suffered three years of declining revenue as a post-pandemic boom in spending on expensive handbags and clothes evaporated.
Creative director Anthony Vaccarello, leading the brand since 2016, is credited with growing Saint Laurent’s revenue and reach.
Saint Laurent’s sales were 2.6 billion euros ($3.02 billion) last year, down from a peak of 3.3 billion euros in 2022.
($1 = 0.8608 euros)
(Reporting by Helen Reid; Editing by Will Dunham)