When it comes to fashion, Vaccarello’s minimalist aesthetic is inimitable. The designer’s signature pared-back style was on full display at his show during Paris Fashion Week, which showcased a collection of sleek, polished pieces that made such a strong statement by their simplicity.

Ando’s sleek concrete felt like a fitting backdrop for Vaccarello’s pared back and impeccably precise collection.

The Bourse de Commerce – Pinault Collection is a museum located in Paris, France that houses the private art collection of businessman and art collector François Pinault. The collection includes works by some of the most renowned artists of the 20th and 21st centuries, including Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí, and Jeff Koons. The museum is housed in the historic Bourse de Commerce building, which was originally built in 1899 and has been beautifully restored to showcase the collection. The museum is open to the public and offers a variety of educational programs and special exhibitions. The collection of the Bourse de Commerce – Pinault Collection is considered one of the most spectacular homes of Pinault's art collection, and it is a must-see destination for art lovers visiting Paris.

The designer’s strong sense of structure was the focal point of his collection. The new take on menswear can be seen in his use of materials like satin and cashmere.

The collection is rife with sculptural precision. Shoulders are strong, waists are narrow, like elevated sculptures meant to be seen from below. It's a distilled, ethereal idea of menswear. A graceful fluidity moves throughout the collection, present both in the use of materials like satin and cashmere and the languid way in which they are deployed, exaggerated, made to flow. Scarves become capes; leather jackets fall in toga-like folds; pants obscure and envelope.

In the fashion world, one of the most iconic menswear pieces of all time is Yves Saint Laurent's Le Smoking tuxedo. It was worn by everyone from Marlon Brando to James Bond and inspired a plethora of imitators—though few have managed to capture its elegance or its timeless style.

For the first time, though, it feels like we're seeing the dialogue between men's and women's collections inform each other more deeply and meaningfully. In this collection, we see literal references to menswear archetypes—headscarves that return from last season's women's collection and sweaters that extend to become smock-like dresses—but also a sense of fluidness and attention to the hips and body as something wrapped up and abstracted.

So, was this the comeback show for men's fashion in Paris?

The Vaccarello show ended in a flurry of applause, and the audience left the theater with a feeling of awe.

With this homecoming show, Vaccarello, who hasn’t held a standalone men’s show in Paris since 2015, instead opting for destination shows, like last season’s from Marrakech, or presenting men’s alongside women’s in a co-ed format, seemed poised to make a statement that menswear is ready for the next level.

From a creative, artistic perspective, this collection is incredible. It's probably one of Vaccarello's very best across both men's and women's. But especially after a week in Milan where big houses were banking on accessible, easily layerable menswear staples and with a collection that's devoid of bags—much of it doesn't feel too wearable in real life.

That said, isn't fashion about creating something beautiful?

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Soundtrack by Sebastian

Arranged and performed by Paul Prier & Charlotte Gainsbourg

Bourse de Commerce – Pinault Collection

© Tadao Ando Architect & Associates, Niney et Marca Architectes, agence Pierre-Antoine Gatier