YSL Men's Summer 2026 Show—A Collection Draped in Ambiguity
Framed as a tribute to the lost generation of artists, the collection asks: What does it mean to dress when dressing is both an act of revealing and concealing?
Full collection here.
Before the Show: YSL & Its Approach
Yves Saint Laurent has continuously stood at the intersection of elegance, rebellion, and refined modernity. Under the direction of creative director Anthony Vaccarello, YSL continues to explore that liminal space where identity becomes expression and fashion becomes code.
This season’s men’s collection navigates what Vaccarello calls “suspended movement”—a conceptual journey between Paris and Fire Island, where escape becomes elegance and desire morphs into a subtle, yet powerful, language.
Beauty becomes a shield. Ambiguity becomes elegance.
The Venue
The venue—reminiscent of a museum cleared of its artwork—set a sharp but intentional tone. Under a high dome featuring a faded mural ceiling, the lighting was precise but arguably too uniform for a collection rooted in emotional nuance.
While the spatial composition was grand, it lacked an atmospheric shift that could’ve echoed the collection’s call for ambiguity.
The pool with floating bowls was a poetic addition—eerily still, like time suspended. It felt less like a set and more like a visual metaphor for inner reflection.
Editor's Note:
I've never seen a prop like this before. Interesting usage of a mirrored hypothetical question—are we really going to question our ambiguity?
A Gentle Opening
Starting with gentle raindrop sounds, the score was a slow build of piano, violin, and ambient synths. A moody, melancholic pace gradually gave way to 80s synth and EDM layers—all threading the evolution of emotional openness through sound.
Music wasn't just in the background—it was a character, shadowing each look’s entrance. However, the final EDM tilt made the show feel closed rather than climactic—a missed opportunity to end on a more powerful emotional beat.
The Looks—The Breakdown of Favorites
Favorite Look #1 — [9/42]
A burgundy trench coat layered over a dusty gold shirt and matching tie, grounded with navy blue pants. The palette is regal, yet worn—as if the model is a restrained superhero with an emotional interior. This look embodies Vaccarello’s strength: sophistication through emotional storytelling.
Favorite Look #2 — [12/42]
Sunflower-toned pants paired with a peach top and a thick, yellow mesh overlay. The reflective sunglasses and neck coverage form a visual barrier that invites curiosity. It's not just styling—it’s character building.
It makes you wonder: “What’s their story?”
Favorite Look #3 — [17/42]
A head-to-toe plum burgundy ensemble. The model’s walk echoed a duality—a desirable man on the outside, a dreaming boy on the inside. The 80s undertone of the music here felt deliberate. A quiet nod to a time when masculinity was being redefined—a clever historical tie-in.
Favorite Look #4 — [29/42]
Dark violet pants with color-matched shoes, a cream belt accent, and a metallic windbreaker. The sheen of the jacket almost risks visual distraction, but the subtle cream detail rescues it. It’s a quiet, calculated success—one that honors both fashion and narrative.
YSL Doing What It's Best At: Elegant Advertising
Runner-Up — [25/42]
Moss green button-down with bright green vertical stripes, paired with brown-burgundy twisted pants. While the green stripe color was “safe,” an off-beige would have leaned too close to Gucci territory. The look delivers a nod to 70s warmth, seamlessly fused with 80s edge. Interesting to display in a sea of young faces—that didn't experience these periods, but still shows a relation in reflection.
A Couple of Confusing Looks
Weak Look #1 — [19/42]
A yellow turtleneck paired with moss-toned pants. It felt too “approved.” Too certain. The character was too fully formed—a miss in a show centered around ambiguity.
A more structured top or faux-button design could’ve introduced confusion in character, which would have been the smarter direction.
Weak Look #2 — [24/42]
An oversized brown blazer over a soft yellow shirt with black accents. The combination’s emotional tone didn’t resonate with the rest of the show. The garment felt mentally unstable—not in an evocative way, but in a clashing, unresolved sense. Elegance was...lost in translation.
Editorial Reflections
One overlooked opportunity: lighting. With a show themed around hidden emotion and delicate ambiguity, a more dramatic lightscape—soft pools, strategic shadows, bold accents—could’ve mirrored the emotional structure.
Precision is elegant, but sometimes chaos adds contrast.
Vaccarello’s music choices throughout the show were bold but sometimes distracting. The tonal journey was there, but the final buildup lacked a narrative release—instead of closure, we got confusion.
Final Take
What is respected the most: the careful exploration of masculinity. Softness wasn’t excluded. The oversized pink trench, the gentle tailoring, the way male vulnerability was dressed—all proof that Vaccarello doesn’t see emotion as weakness, but rather as an evolved form of strength.
Vaccarello delivered an intelligent, emotional study on ambiguity—a theme ripe with meaning and fashion relevance. While not every look hit its mark, the message was clear: elegance isn’t always loud. Sometimes it whispers—and when it does, we should listen.
Personal note: creatives must own their work. If a designer walks out with their head down, they rob the audience of closure. Whether or not it’s your best show, you must stand behind it.
That’s what elevates a creator into a storyteller.
At REVISE MAGAZINE, we don’t just follow fashion—we question it.
And we revise everything—especially what we're told to accept as final.
