For Anthony Vaccarello, it all began with Giovanni’s Room. James Baldwin’s 1956 novella has been profoundly influential in the decades since its publication, particularly for its frank depiction of a gay relationship. In Vaccarello’s reading, one scene stands out: the moment near the end of the book when the protagonist, David, leaves his lover Giovanni for the last time in the early hours of the morning. That scene led the designer to think about the morning after, and that feeling of watching a city wake up after a night spent doing anything but sleeping. How you must pull your clothes back on, fasten your buttons, and step back into the world.

As always, the Saint Laurent man was impeccably tailored. The predominant colour was black, “that most Saint Laurent of colours” according to the show notes. Blazers came double- and single-breasted, paired with sharply creased trousers. Fur pelts were draped around the neck or gracefully held. Angles were severe: shoulders sloped, then sharpened. Bare chests flashed beneath long coats. Aristocratic notes surfaced in patterned foulards and slicked-back hair.

Naturally, a darker, sexier undercurrent ran through the collection. The leather waders introduced in FW25 returned, reworked slimmer and glossier, almost rubberised. They were styled with striped pyjama shorts and matching shirts, or with cropped suit trousers. Ultra-shiny coats appeared too, one of which was fully transparent, alongside supple leather coats cinched tightly at the waist.