In An Industry Obsessed With Change, Anthony Vaccarello’s Saint Laurent Proves Consistency is Power

A ten-year tenure in a single job is an impressive achievement by any standard, but even more so in the fashion industry. A highly volatile ecosystem, it exists in perpetual motion, always chasing the next big thing; an industry that not only thrives on change, but single-mindedly pursues it. The past year alone provides ample proof, with its unprecedented stream of creative director appointments, abrupt departures, and leadership reshuffles at many of the world’s top luxury houses—or, as WWD so aptly coined it, the year of “fashion’s furious game of musical chairs”.

Amid all the chaos, however, and against industry odds, one creative director has successfully stayed the course—and with dazzling results. I’m referring, of course, to Anthony Vaccarello: the Belgian-born designer who has helmed Saint Laurent since 2016, and whose consistency and resilience have been precisely his forte.