A lot can be said about stepping back from your daily grind to gain a much-needed new perspective. Being a part of the intensely creative and fast-paced fashion industry, one could say it’s necessary to keep moving forward.
In a time somewhere between lockdown and a full-time in-office work schedule, is it possible that we’re just beginning to value moments of pure isolation? In other words, can solitude set you free? Saint Laurent’s Spring Summer 23 collection would say so.
Saint Laurent takes a reflective approach to this season and firmly stands behind its musings. Lightweight, fluid, and intentional, the collection lends a certain accommodating elegance, which made K-Pop heartthrob Mark Tuan the perfect person to don its pieces.
The singer-rapper of Got7, a South Korean boy band, has spent a great deal of time in the spotlight, making his time spent alone especially valid. Lending his POV on his hard launch into fame, Tuan openly speaks to his fans about the darkness that comes along with a demanding schedule and life in the public eye – it even sparked inspiration in his latest album titled the other side. Adding weight to this sentiment with tracks like lonely, exhausted, and far away, Tuan creates a soundscape of his pressures.
Providing some much-needed alleviation to the hectic nature surrounding work culture, masculinity, and fashion, we took Saint Laurent’s Spring Summer 23 collection and Mark Tuan to a house in California, with just four walls and a roof, to reconnect with our sense of freedom.
If Vaccarello’s aim throughout his time at Saint Laurent has been to dissolve modern ideas surrounding masculinity through a more genderless approach to fashion, then his mission is complete with his Spring Summer 23 collection. Exaggerated collars manifest form in a bow, chiffon blouses are made see-through, and patent block heels all come to life in Spring Summer 23.
As unbarred as it is precise, Anthony Vaccarello demonstrates a fresh take on menswear staples with a tuxedo in lightweight silk faille and gathered satin coats that envelop the body almost to the ground. Bringing relaxed silhouettes to all of its garments, the collection also features a predominantly high waist and wide legs, naturally elongating the wearer’s shape.
As Tuan meditates around the empty house wearing Saint Laurent Spring Summer 23 – whether on the couch looking through a skylight or by a desk with the clock reading 4:44 – the viewer can sense any feelings of stress dissipating. Both Tuan and Saint Laurent have rediscovered the joy of stepping back to unsubscribe from ideas of what is expected and following their found inner voice. The results are in the realness of their respective outputs.
Turns out solitude can set you free after all.
Check out more from Saint Laurent’s Spring Summer 23 collection at ysl.com.
