Although Bella Hadid is stepping back from modeling, she still made a major fashion statement at the Cannes Film Festival this year. Known for wearing gold lungs in 2021, Hadid remains a standout at the event, proving she hasn’t missed a beat.
The dress had a halter neckline and a sheer bodice. The thin material was ruched, knotted, and tucked at the midsection, flowing into a midi-length pencil skirt with visible seams and a thick hem.
Back in February, critics questioned how a garment made of delicate hosiery material would work in the real world. Vaccarrello responded, saying runway presentations are about fantasy, not reality. “So much fashion looks the same. I wanted to propose something new and exciting,” he said. “My job isn’t always to create something realistic.”
What ends up in Saint Laurent boutiques may differ from what Hadid wore. Like the runway, her unique Cannes creation was meant to inspire, not for everyday wear.
“Don’t even ask me about production, I can’t tell you,” Vaccarrelo finished.
On another note, Vaccarello’s ability to deviate from the brand’s commercial vision without input from sales teams’ data and analytics allows him to be an artist while leading a house that sells billions of euros in clothes, bags, and perfumes annually.
With most luxury brands showcasing four womenswear collections a year, do we really need to see purchasable clothes every time? Can’t designers have the space to create art? Whether the art is appreciated or not is irrelevant. Runway parameters shouldn’t measure wearability, breasts on show or not. Otherwise, brands like Comme des Garçons would have been out of business decades ago. The fashion industry needs visionaries like Rei Kawakubo and Anthony Vaccarello.
