Saint Laurent has made its way to the Miami Design District — and in true fashion its 4,200 square-foot flagship store is as extravagant as the brand itself. Having just opened in December 2016, this outpost of the legendary brand is the first under new YSL Creative Director and avant-garde Italian designer Anthony Vaccarello.
(VIP dressing room)
Walk into its two-story abode, and you’ll immediately get a taste of Miami. Its Art Deco-inspired motif has white and black statuary and silk marble everywhere you turn, floor-to-ceiling glass windows, polished brass structures and bespoke benches made of leather and nickel-plated brass. On each floor, you’ll find suspended hanging rails, right at eye level, with the brand’s pièces de résistance: Vaccarello’s latest Saint Laurent latest fashions, a sultry collection that pays homage to the bold nature of the fashion house by, in his own words, seductively "flirting with bad taste."
(Miami Design District exclusive bags)
In his debut Spring 2017 collection for YSL, Vaccarello embraces the essence of Yves Saint Laurent with cutout designs, extremely low necklines, even higher slits, out-of-the-box Picasso-inspired patterns, 80s styles and bold textures. And in between the obviously classic YSL bustiers, dresses with oversized sleeves and larger-than-life shoulder pads, the eye-catching wall of vibrant backpacks and metallic sneakers, and the VIP changing room (which is completely covered in mirrored walls inside and out, making it barely noticeable to the everyday shopper), you’ll find a few designs in this store that were made solely with Miami in mind. Take the black handbag with the leather “Miami Design District” tag or the Saint Laurent Florida tee with “Miami Design District” imprinted in the emblem, for example, both of which are only available at the new store.
Following a line of design greats like Tom Ford, Alber Elbaz, Stefano Pilati and Hedi Slimane, Anthony Vaccarello, who left Versus Versace and his own namesake label to take over YSL in April 2016, is primed to keep up YSL’s tradition of anything-but-traditional fashions. And much like his store’s surrounding Magic City vibes, Miami fashionistas are sure Vaccarello has a bit of his own magic to stitch into YSL, too — and we can’t wait to see what he has in store.
