This is a newsletter version Show memo, Samuel Hein reports from the front row of the fashion world. Sign up here to get it for free.

In case you haven’t noticed, menswear looks really great. saint laurent– now coded. I don’t mean what we just saw on TV Paris fashion week runwayinevitably. So the men actually take on the dark sensuality that has become Anthony Vaccarello’s calling card at YSL. The shoulder pads will re-inflate after years of softness. trench coat are exchanging gore-tex. the bond returns On your neck anywhere. Sunglasses add muscle and drama. There’s more leather on the street than cruising.

Is fur next? What about… latex?

At Saint Laurent’s men’s show on Tuesday night, which unofficially wrapped up the fall 2026 fashion season in front of 120 guests gathered in the mood-lit Bourse de Commerce rotunda, the idea didn’t seem all that far-fetched. On the runway, models adorned their necks with deep black fur stoles, as if they had scavenged their grandmother’s mink stash. Some were clutching oversized fluffy muffs. (Of course, they are all fake.)

Provided by Saint Laurent

Typically dramatic suits were often sharp and angular, with Vaccarello’s trademark broad shoulders looming over more feminine nipped-in waists and long, loose pants. The colors were solemn and dark, unlike recent seasons. A brand new YSL Ambassador from a front row seat conner story He stood out in his tan suit and shiny yellow shirt.

Vaccarello said, “It’s darker than usual because we’re using a lot of color. Maybe this season, given what’s going on in the world, we don’t want to pretend that everything is great. So darkness came to mind.” He created a different sense of tension by layering a parade of black with silk scarves, super-tight knit sweaters, and bizarre pajama sets, a contrast he said was inspired by a recent reading of the 1956 James Baldwin novel. Giovanni’s roomdepicts an American man in Paris struggling to reconcile his sexuality and masculinity.

Provided by Saint Laurent