Founded in 1961 by Yves Saint Laurentand Pierre Berge, Saint Laurent is a legendary Parisian fashion house known for revolutionising the female wardrobe by borrowing from masculine codes. The brand's identity is rooted in an "edgy yet elegant" Parisian-chic aesthetic. It was the first couture house to successfully launch a full luxury ready-to-wear line, Rive Gauche, in 1966, which aimed to democratise fashion.

The SS26 collection, designed by Anthony Vaccarello is a high-octane tribute to the house's 1980s Rive Gauche archives. Presented at the foot of the Eiffel Tower during Paris Fashion Week, the show was structured in three distinct acts that explored themes of suggestive transparency and Parisian glamour.