Anthony Vaccarello Is Named the New Creative Director of Saint Laurent

The designer takes over after the departure of Hedi Slimane.

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Well, that was quick. Last Week, Hedi Slimane announced that he would be departing Saint Laurent after four years as the brand's creative director. Following his exit, rumors swirled that Anthony Vaccarello would be taking his place. Now, the speculation has been confirmed—Vaccarello has officially been hired by Saint Laurent.

Up until this morning, Vaccarello served as the creative director for Versace's sibling brand Versace Versus. The Belgian-Italian designer took his position with the Italian fashion house only a year ago. Prior to that, he was designing furs under Karl Lagerfeld, before launching his own brand in 2010.

Like Slimane, Vaccarello has a reputation for channeling rock n' roll in his designs, which may make him a good fit for carrying on the edgy Saint Laurent we have come to know under Slimane. We will get a look at his work with the French fashion house later this year during Paris Fashion Week as part of the Spring 2017 ready-to-wear season.

Vaccarello is one of several designers who has used Versace as a launching pad to advance their career. In 2013, Versace brought on Jonathan Anderson. He was hired by the Spanish brand Loewe soon after, and received funding to grow his own J.W. Anderson brand. Before that, Christopher Kane served as Versus creative director, and also went on to get financial backing for his namesake brand as a result of his higher profile.

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