The 2024 edition of the Cannes Film Festival made quite a number of headlines. From complaints of rude, handsy security on the red carpet to the coming together of film greats Martin Scorsese and George Lucas on the same stage, it was quite the two weeks. Perhaps, one that went under the radar was Saint Laurent's multiple appearances at the film festival.

There's no doubt that the red carpet at Cannes is as much of a showstopper as the schedule of films—Saint Laurent is anything but a stranger at the former. But this time, the French fashion house took part in the other half of the festival with its newly formed film production arm Saint Laurent Productions.

Initiated by creative director Anthony Vaccarello, Saint Laurent Productions marks the first full-fledged production of film by a fashion house. For its official debut, Saint Laurent Productions premiered three films at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival where Vaccarello is both listed as co-producer as well as costume artistic director.

The trio of long-feature films are Emilia Perez by Jacques Audiard (featuring a star-studded cast including Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez, and Edgar Ramirez), David Cronenberg's The Shrouds, and Parthenope directed by Paolo Sorrentino. All three films were in competition for the coveted Palme d'Or. Although none were awarded the honour—it went to Anora by American filmmaker Sean Baker—Emilia Perez took home the Jury Prize while its ensemble female cast was awarded Best Actress. In other words, not too bad for a first-time production house.

It may seem out of left field for Saint Laurent to have a film production arm, but the in reality the House has had a link to the world of cinema back to the very beginnings of its inception. Founder Yves Saint Laurent—apart from contributing to some of fashion's most celebrated silhouettes— designed costumes for a number of films. His most prominent was 1967's Belle de Jour starring Catherine Deneuve, where the entire film wardrobe for the actress was wholly designed by the couturier. Yves' collections were also thought of as cinematic, something that Vaccarello has increasingly channelled in his collections for the House.

There's little doubt that with the successful Cannes debut, Saint Laurent Productions will continue to produce a wide range of films, each with the same depth as Vaccarello's collections. With Jonathan Anderson of Loewe also having had a hand in designing costumes for Challengers, is this a trend that we'll see more of?

For Milan Design Week, Saint Laurent Rive Droite teams with the Gio Ponti Archives, Ginori 1735 and the Fundación Anala y Armando Planchart to showcase a plate collection. But these aren't ordinary plates. These are Villa Planchart Segnaposto Plates and for such an exceptional collection, it is showcased at the Gio Ponti—Villa Planchart exhibition. Saint Laurent's creative director, Anthony Vaccarello, curated the exhibit.  

This collaboration dates back to 1953. That's when Anala and Armando Planchart commissioned renowned Italian architect, Gio Ponti, to construct an avant-garde villa for them on the highest hill overlooking Caracas, Venezuela. While designing the villa, Ponti employed exceptional Italian artisans with traditional expertise for the interior decor of the Villa Planchart. This included the Florentine manufacturer Ginori 1735, for which he had previously worked as artistic director. He designed a set of porcelain tableware decorated with the various symbols of the villa. This pays homage to the village and Anala and Amando. 

Saint Laurent will reissue 12 original plates from the Villa Planchart Segnaposto collection designed by Gio Ponti. These traditionally-crafted decorative porcelain plates are painted by hand in Ginori 1735’s Italian Manifattura. Available in vibrant hues, the plates feature the same motifs that appeared in the porcelain tableware designed for the villa. This included the sun, the crescent moon, the polar star and iterations of the letter “A”—referencing the initials of the villa’s owners.

The limited-edition plates will be available online, at SAINT LAURENT RIVE DROITE Los Angeles, SAINT LAURENT BABYLONE in Paris. Also, for a limited time, by appointment at Saint Laurent’s Milan flagship on Via Montenapoleone during Milan Design Week.

Held at the Chiostri di San Simpliciano, the Gio Ponti—Villa Planchart exhibition will be open from April 16th to 21st. To pre-book tickets, register here.

The menswear evolution at Saint Laurent under the creative direction of Anthony Vaccarello has been a gradual one. The beginning of his tenure saw Vaccarello sticking to predecessor Hedi Slimane's penchant for rock-and-roll skinnies, while at the same time adding his own inflections of chic. Since then—he's recently passed the seventh-year mark—Vaccarello has increasingly referenced Saint Laurent's archives, especially the work of its founder.

The Saint Laurent summer 2024 runway show was held in Berlin, Germany. While it may be more famously known for its vibrant rave and party culture, the city's art and design scenes too require little introduction. The glass-and-steel Neue Nationalgalerie—a modern art museum designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe—provided the perfect setting for the summer 2024 collection that further emphasised on Vaccarello's stamp for Saint Laurent: modern, elegant, and indisputably chic.

The fit: Just like the brand's previous presentation (the winter 2023 womenswear runway show), the focus for the summer 2024 menswear collection was the shoulder. Strong and structured, the general look consisted of an oversized blazer paired with high-waisted flute trousers, achieving a top-heavy silhouette that tapered down. The opening looks were classic pairings of tuxedos interpreted in the collection's silhouette but as the show progressed, button-downs were substituted in favour of neck-plunging tank tops crafted from silk.

When shoulders weren't accentuated and exaggerated by deftly tailored blazers and shirting, they were left bare. The aforementioned tank tops were joined by sheer blouses decorated with polka dots and extended scarf collars, halter-neck tops, toga blouses, and off-shoulder tops that all featured some manner of elegant draping.

The overall sense of flou was evident in the silk fabrications, but also in the continuation of winter 2023 menswear's use of oversized pussy bows tied around the neck.

The details: It does seem that when Vaccarello does a fashion show, the focus is almost strictly on the clothes and not much else. The Saint Laurent summer 2024 menswear collection was no different—there were no bags to speak of. The accessory du jour however, were aviator sunglasses. And true to form, the devil was in the details. What may have seemed like regular aviators, were given a modern twist with temples connected to the bottom of lenses instead of the top.

If you're looking for an update to wearing a shirt, refer to look 23's styling tip of treating one like how you would a bathrobe—simply disregard the buttons, wrap the shirt around the waist and tuck it into trousers. It's not a new hack by any means but a nifty one to experiment with oversized shirts.

Three exceptional looks: Look 5 is quintessential to the Saint Laurent summer 2024 menswear collection that's further elevated with the hint of a red pocket square; look 29 for a dramatic elegance befitting any occasion; and look 37 that's proof of the timeless simplicity of an all-black fit.

The takeaway: If this summer season is all about baring abs with cropped tops, summer 2024 may perhaps be the time to work on the pecs and guns.

View the full Saint Laurent summer 2024 menswear collection in the gallery below.