YSL revives Le Smoking suit on Paris catwalk

Yves Saint Laurent’s Le Smoking returned to the Paris catwalk 60 years after its invention. Designed by the late couturier to be worn by men in smoking rooms to protect clothing from the smell of cigars, he adapted it for women, slimming the trousers and lapels.

Only one sold from his 1966 collection, but it became a global symbol of power dressing and gender dismantling, appearing in every collection until Saint Laurent retired in 2002. Anthony Vaccarello’s 2026 version opened Paris fashion week, worn by 14 models, each with one hand nonchalantly in a pocket; Vaccarello, marking a decade in the job, adapted the suit further.

Rather than the slinky tailoring associated with Saint Laurent, this take leaned into an 1980s Wall Street aesthetic, paired with maximal jewellery and a makeup palette taken from Robert Palmer’s Addicted to Love video.

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