From New York to Shanghai to Malibu. That has been the route of this SS20 season so far. What a world-wind tour it's been and it's just beginning. And so Saint Laurent traipsed across the Atlantic and through America to show its SS20 collection on a gloomy beach in Malibu. The atmosphere perfectly accentuated the dark, rocker vibe of its collection. Hedi Slimane Anthony Vaccarello continued the 70s rocker aesthetic and injected military tailoring, sequined suits, and a bohemian vibe trumpeted by Vaccarello's predecessor at Saint Laurent. The formula obviously works so why change what isn't broken, especially when it's a money maker?

Anthon Vaccarello's latest collection for Saint Laurent felt incredibly strong - except for the menswear, which was a bit of an after thought and lacked the confidence and strength of his womenswear. Menswear has never been Vaccarello's strength and it was neither the namesake designer's as well so, in that regard, the Italian designer stayed true to the label.

Anthony Vaccarello's vision for Saint Laurent is not the hit-you-on-the-head as his predecessor's was, instead the aesthetic for Vaccarello's Saint Laurent is a slick, mostly-black wardrobe full of leather, sheer layers, and heavy doses of 70s glamour. For this SS19 collection, shown in New Jersey (huh?) with beautiful views of the New York skyline (ahh, makes sense, now!) the collection had definite Studio 54 vibes with slinky layers of leather, sexy ensembles and plenty of glittering and shiny accoutrements, complete with a finale parade of lithe models in silver body glitter, highlighting a sense of liberation, sexual, societal, or anything in between.

Judging the Saint Laurent book by its cover, it seems like Anthony Vaccarello is just continuing what his predecessor had started at the Kering-owned maison. But there are differences in Vaccarello's approach to menswear. While there were plenty of skinny clothes here, they were not restrictively skinny so that anyone with a waist size above 30 would be considered too fat to fit into them. In a more concise way: Vaccarello's Saint Laurent is more welcoming, more egalitarian even. From the glittering jackets to the sleek boots to the aforementioned mentioned skinny jeans, there were oodles of layers that would appeal to far broader range of men and whose tailoring and overly aesthetic would fit into their own rather than the wearer try to adhere to the clothes. Vaccarello's Saint Laurent tells the world that the man (or woman) wears the clothes and not that the clothes wear the wearer.

A somber feeling wafted over Saint Laurent's SS18 show: one of its founders, Pierre Berge, had died a few weeks ago. This was the first show wherein neither of its founders, Berge or the namesake designer, were present. What better way to honor Berge and his dedication to Yves Saint Laurent, the man and the maison, than to show a collection that highlighted its glorious and debaucherous past? For the men's collection, Anthony Vacarello sent out a sleeper hit with lots of luxe detailing from a subtle sequined blouson to lushly embroidered jackets to silky animal print tops. At first glance, the clothes can seem plain, even boring, but upon closer inspection, the detail and fabrics shine through, even among all the black-on-black tones.

In his two collections since taking over at Saint Laurent, Anthony Vaccarello has yet to show a full men's collection. Instead, the slim pickings for men has been shown alongside the women's collections, sometimes with just half a handful of looks. For his sophomore effort, Vaccarello showed 14 men's looks, mostly in black, with a dash of white or brown suede or maybe some sparkle. It was fine but lacked personality or anything that made it different or special. Love or hate his predecessor, Saint Laurent under Hedi Slimane evoked strong emotions, his collections were polarizing. The only reaction from Vacarello's men's offering is a shrug of the shoulders.

Hedi Slimane's tenure at Saint Laurent has been fraught with rumors, gossip and spectacle. When 2016 hit, rumors in Paris started swirling that he was on his way out the door then he cancelled Saint Laurent's men's FW16 show in Paris. The rumors reached a fever pitch at that point. It was eventually announced that Saint Laurent would show not in Paris, or New York, but in Los Angeles, where Slimane has lived since departing Dior Homme nearly a decade ago. The show, at LA's iconic Palladium, was billed all-Hedi, meaning that the press-shy designer's creations would be the focus and he was not leaving (yet). This could be a turning point in the label's future, bypassing the European shows and the newly formed NYFWM to show in Los Angeles, to appease Slimane.

When the lights dimmed at the Palladium, just days before the Grammy's, the collection was a revelation in chic, albeit in super slim proportions. Slimane revived Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture, with two new couture ateliers, one of them focusing on tailoring. Though this collection is undoubtedly ready to wear, the influences of YSL couture showed here with a sophisticated collection full of opulence, take the gold mink coat or the lush embroidery on a trim jacket. After the kerfuffle over the label's name change, the banning of certain journalists, and the sometimes inability of the designer to take criticism, this collection in LA is Slimane's best argument for why he deserves to stay at Saint Laurent and why Kering, its parent company, should acquiesce to the designer's wants.

Hedi Slimane's use of laid back California iconography was seen throughout his latest collection for Saint Laurent: from the palm tree bombers to ripped denim. The mood was considerably lighter, as well, there were brighter colors other than his usual avalanche of black on black with a bit of plaid thrown in. There were elements of the California grunge scene, of rocker debauchery, at a bonfire on the beach, perhaps. There were a plethora of layers to don for those chilly California nights on the beach, from his signature Perfectos to chunky long scarfs and so many oversized and grunge-inspired shirts.

The house that Yves built has undergone some big changes, least of all their name, but for the house's fragrance and make up divisions, the name remains the same: the iconic YSL acronym. For their latest fragrance, Richard Bush snaps Mias van der Westhuyzen in the fragrance campaign for Kouros Silver, styled by Azza Yousif.

See the full collection here.

Could Hedi Slimane be paying tribute to Paris after years of looking to California's grunge/rock scene for inspiration? It seems like he is, that is if Saint Laurent's FW15 collection is any indication. French berets were donned by models sporting skintight leather pants while music from little-known French bands played in the background. The pants were so tight that even the models' waifish hands could barely fit more than a knuckle into the pockets. The glamour that Slimane brings to the storied French maison was seen via high-gloss leather boots, metallic coats and a Maltese tiger fur coat that was the incapsulation of Slimane's aesthetic: tight, luxe, and rocker.

See the full collection here.

Hedi Slimane's latest collection for Saint Laurent extended his vision of ultra slim tailoring on waif sized models. Since the atelier (and Slimane) is based in Los Angeles, it makes sense there are undoubtedly Western elements in the show, including a few ponchos and a bit of fringe. That being said, the focus was, of course, on the indie-rocker vibe Slimane has trumpeted since his days at that other French fashion house. For SS15, there was a whole host of embellished jackets, some with military influences, as well as plenty of sparkle from studs on a denim jacket to heavy jewelry that seemed to be heavier than the models who wore them.

Bjarne Jonasson snaps Red's Nikita Shandrakov for Barneys New York's Saint Laurent lookbook. The fabled American retailer offers a plethora of Hedi Slimane's designs, with references of 60s London mod to the underground Los Angeles music scene.