5 Things You Need To Know About Anthony Vaccarello, Saint Laurent's New Creative Director

Five things you need to know about fashion’s man of the moment…

Anthony Vaccarello has been named as the new creative director of Yves Saint Laurent, replacing Hedi Slimane with immediate effect. Here are five things you need to know about fashion’s man of the moment…

He’s Donatella Versace’s Protégé… Shy Belgian designer Anthony has been working at the helm of Donatella’s Versus Versace line for two seasons now – a talent-supporting stint that Christopher Kane and JW Anderson both enjoyed before hitting the big time with their eponymous collections. As soon as Hedi Slimane had announced he was leaving, Vaccarello was tipped as a shoo-in successor – he’s hot property and was bound to be snapped up on a permanent basis by one huge house or another.

Slinky Sexy LBDs Are His Design Signature You might not know his name (yet) but you’ll definitely know Anthony Vaccarello’s work. Jennifer Lopez wore one of his asymmetric slashed gowns at the Grammys in 2013, Gisele dared to bare in another of his little black dresses at the MET ball. His greatest hit at Versus Versace was a collection reinterpreting Liz Hurley’s iconic safety pin dress, so, like Hedi Slimane before him, his style is bound to appeal to the world’s hottest rock stars.

See some of our favourite Vaccarello creations in the gallery above.

His Rise To The Top Has Been Fast Anthony put on his first ever show back in 2011 and just five years later, he’s taken the helm of one of the industry’s most iconic houses. He worked at Fendi under Karl Lagerfeld for two years before landing the Versus Versace job – so he’s certainly cut his teeth with the best.

He’s Got A Strong Supermodel Squad Anja Rubik, Karlie Kloss, Malaika Firth, Joan Smalls – Anthony is already well-known for casting his friends and muses in his runway shows, so we should all look forward to a star model fest at his debut.

His First Collection Will Be For SS17… Sounds like ages away, doesn’t it? But Anthony’s YSL debut will come around in a fashion flash, as next spring’s collections get shown at Paris Fashion Week in October. What to expect? More sexy dresses, more edgy embellishments and more all-black every-thang, all sure to chime with Saint Laurent fans. We can’t wait.