Saint Laurent Needs a Designer: Who’s Next After Vaccarello

4 min read

Part of today’s What You Missed: Wednesday, Oct 28.

The hook

“There’s nothing low-brow about Anthony’s work.” That was actor François Arnaud on Tuesday night, in Saint Laurent, at the WWD Honors in New York. It was a tribute, and also a reminder that one of fashion’s most powerful chairs is empty. On the same day, CR Fashion Book laid out the whole vacancy map: Saint Laurent, McQueen, Calvin Klein Collection, and questions at Balenciaga. Here is what is confirmed, what is only reported, and why it matters to anyone who shops or dresses in LA.

What happened

• The tribute. Arnaud, a Saint Laurent brand ambassador, wore oversized navy tailoring to the WWD Honors at Cipriani South Street. “As you know, this last collection was his swan song at Saint Laurent and I think he is just a master,” he told WWD on Oct. 27. He called Vaccarello’s ten years “a perfectly masterful blend of elegance but also a rock and roll quality.”
• The exit. Saint Laurent announced Vaccarello’s departure on Oct. 9, CR Fashion Book reported on Oct. 27. He succeeded Hedi Slimane in 2016, and his Spring/Summer 2027 show on Sept. 29 was his last: a largely gold collection that ended with a sequence of black looks.
• The numbers. Per CR Fashion Book, Saint Laurent’s annual revenue reached 3.3 billion euros in 2022 under Vaccarello, and he launched Saint Laurent Productions in 2023. He has not announced his next role, though he is due to receive the CFDA’s International Designer of the Year award in New York on Nov. 2.

Who people are talking about

• Saint Laurent: Chemena Kamali (reported, not confirmed). CR Fashion Book says attention has turned to Kamali, now creative director of Chloé, who worked as Vaccarello’s women’s ready-to-wear design director from 2016 to 2023. Fashion Times also tipped her on Oct. 15, while stressing the move is unconfirmed. Saint Laurent has not confirmed an appointment. If chosen, she would be the first woman to lead its creative direction.
• McQueen: Virginia Burlina (reported, not confirmed). Seán McGirr’s departure was announced Oct. 15. CR Fashion Book cites reports that Burlina, most recently head designer at Maison Margiela, has been selected. Kering has not confirmed. McQueen closed 20 stores in the first half of 2026 as part of an overhaul.
• Calvin Klein Collection: open. Veronica Leoni’s exit was also announced Oct. 15, after four collections. The company says Collection will continue and new leadership will be announced. No successor has been named.
• Balenciaga: questions, no announcement. Reports suggest Pierpaolo Piccioli’s time there may be ending little more than a year after his appointment. That remains reporting, not an official change.

Why people care

Creative directors set what ends up on the racks 12 to 18 months from now, and Kering is choosing for two of its houses at once. CR Fashion Book notes Kering chief executive Luca de Meo is overseeing an uneven recovery, with Saint Laurent growing while McQueen works through a turnaround. A Saint Laurent pick also triggers a domino effect: if Kamali moves, Chloé needs a designer too.

The vacancy also reopens a long-running fan debate: Slimane’s rock-and-roll Saint Laurent or Vaccarello’s sharp, evening-first version. Arnaud’s own description of Vaccarello’s decade, elegance with “a rock and roll quality,” suggests the two eras have more in common than the debate admits.

What it means for you

• Shop the last Vaccarello pieces with intent. His final collections will sell through before a new direction arrives. If you have loved his sharp shoulders and evening-first wardrobe, the Rodeo Drive boutique is where that era ends in LA.
• Do not buy on rumor. Resale prices often jump on appointment news. Wait for an official announcement before paying a premium for anything tied to a name.
• Watch the CFDA Awards on Nov. 2. Vaccarello is set to be honored there, and designers often signal next moves around big industry nights.

Our take (opinion)

Saint Laurent does not need a reset; it needs continuity with a new pulse. Under Vaccarello, eveningwear became the house’s calling card, and LA’s red-carpet economy was one of the biggest beneficiaries. A designer who already knows the studio, as Kamali does, would be the lowest-risk move. A total outsider would be the most exciting one. Kering has to decide which it can afford.

Sources

• WWD, Oct. 27, 2026: François Arnaud on Anthony Vaccarello at the WWD Honors
• CR Fashion Book, Oct. 27, 2026: Creative Director Changes 2026: Who’s Next in Fashion?
• Fashion Times, Oct. 15, 2026: Chemena Kamali Is Expected To Make History as Saint Laurent’s First Female Creative Director
• Back to today’s roundup: What You Missed: Wednesday, Oct 28

Photo: Headline screenshot of Fashion Times’ report, Oct. 15, 2026, linked above.

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