Bella Hadid Leads Saint Laurent's Tuxedo Revival at Paris Fashion Week
Bella Hadid made a striking return to the Saint Laurent runway as creative director Anthony Vaccarello revisited one of fashion's most revolutionary garments: the woman's tuxedo suit. The autumn/winter 2026 show, presented at Paris Fashion Week, marked the 60th anniversary of Yves Saint Laurent's original 'Le Smoking' – the tailored black tuxedo that helped redefine women's dressing when it debuted in 1966.
Sharp Tailoring and Sensual Tension
Vaccarello opened the show with a procession of sharply tailored trouser suits, immediately reaffirming Saint Laurent's enduring authority over the silhouette. In total, 14 tuxedo looks appeared throughout the collection, many worn with nothing beneath the jacket, emphasising the house's long-standing fascination with masculine tailoring and overt sensuality.
Shoulders were exaggerated in a clear nod to Eighties power dressing, with sharply padded jackets cut to elongate the torso and taper dramatically at the waist. This appears to be the 2026 version of the 1966 suit – a silhouette that's dominating runways this season.
Dramatic Beauty and Contrasting Silhouettes
Models wore side-parted hair slicked tightly into low buns, paired with smoky eyes, contoured cheekbones and deep red lips created by make-up artist Pat McGrath – seemingly a reference to the dramatic beauty seen in photographer Helmut Newton's Saint Laurent campaigns of the 1970s and 1980s.
Alongside the tuxedos, Vaccarello presented a contrasting series of sheer lace body dresses and two-pieces – like the set seen on model Hadid. The lingerie-inspired silhouettes clung to the body, introducing a more provocative element to the structured tailoring.
The Belgian designer further explored that sensual tension through pencil skirts, peplum waists and sharply defined hips – shapes that are becoming increasingly visible across runways this season.
Material Innovation and Dramatic Proportions
Elsewhere, wet-look rubber raincoats appeared among the collection, their glossy surfaces reflecting the runway lights. Oversized fur coats further gave a sense of drama, enveloping models in exaggerated proportions while sporting an otherwise pared-back palette of browns, blacks and deep burgundy tones.
A Shift Toward Overt Sensuality
The collection suggested a broader shift emerging this fashion month: a renewed focus on overt sensuality. Where recent seasons have explored practicality in womenswear, Vaccarello's autumn/winter offering leaned unapologetically into glamour, power dressing and the tight, body-con silhouettes that have long defined Saint Laurent's identity.
Honoring a Revolutionary Legacy
That identity traces directly back to the house's founder. When Yves Saint Laurent introduced Le Smoking in 1966, the concept of women wearing tuxedo suits was still considered radical. The design helped redefine feminine power dressing at a time when women were increasingly asserting independence in public life and professional spaces. Six decades later, Vaccarello's interpretation reaffirmed that legacy.
Star-Studded Front Row
Front row guests included Michelle Pfeiffer, Zoë Kravitz, Olivia Wilde, Lila Moss, Iris Law and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.
Huntington-Whiteley, 38, wore a look from Saint Laurent's spring/summer 2026 collection, pairing a chocolate leather jacket with a white heavy bow-front blouse and a high-waisted leather pencil skirt.
Actress Michelle Pfeiffer, 67, paid homage to Le Smoking jacket in a tailored black Saint Laurent trouser suit, worn with a plunging blouse and gold cuff bracelets.
Actress Zoe Kravitz, 37, opted for a monochrome espresso-brown ensemble featuring a semi-sheer mock-neck top with mesh panels paired with oversized pleated trousers and a skinny leather belt.
Model Lila Moss, 23, who came to the show with her mother Kate, wore a sleek Saint Laurent evening look: a minimal, sheer black dress with delicate spaghetti straps and pointed heels.
