Were they off to a nightclub, or a funeral? Watching the parade of A-listers arrive at last night’s stunning Yves Saint Laurent show in Paris, it seemed a valid question to pose.

Here was model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley in a sheer black lace dress that exposed her breasts and knickers. Here was actress Zoe Kravitz in a marginally less sheer black lace pencil skirt and bolero. And here was model Eva Herzigova in a laminated black lace mini dress. Actress Zoe Saldana, meanwhile, chose an even more daringly flesh-baring black cobweb lace slip dress.

Other guests who wore various iterations of lace included 52-year-old model Amber Valletta in a black pencil skirt and camisole top, model and former first lady of France, Carla Bruni, 58, in a black dress with lace sleeves and model Iris Law, 25, in a black silk and lace slip dress.

Louche as these looks might have proved in other surroundings, they were pitch perfect for a Saint Laurent show. 

Ever since Yves Saint Laurent scandalised Paris in 1968 by dressing a model in a transparent black blouse that exposed her breasts, the ‘see-through blouse’ has been a signature of the house. 

So, while some might call the naked look vulgar, others might argue it’s simply a tribute to one of the greatest designers who ever lived.

While not every A-lister chose to wear lace, almost without exception, they all chose to wear black. 

Some paid tribute to Saint Laurent’s iconic ‘Smoking’ jacket, such as influencers Hailey Bieber, Gabbriette Bechtel and Nara Smith. Others wore black dresses, including designer Donatella Versace, 71, and Spiderman actress Laura Harrier, 36.

Unusually, one of the most chaste-looking outfits of the night belonged to Kate Moss, who wore a floor-length black velvet dress with balloon sleeves. 

Her model daughter, Lila, meanwhile, wore an asymmetric black mini dress. Another mother and daughter duo - Jerry Hall and Georgia Jagger - also wore black dresses, Georgia in strapless black leather and Jerry in a ruched black satin design.

Given that Yves Saint Laurent died in 2008, there seemed little cause for the guests to look quite so funereal. But if rumours are to be believed, there was, in fact, just cause for them to mourn. 

For the past ten years, Saint Laurent has been under the artistic directorship of Belgian-born designer Anthony Vaccarello. Rumour has it that this was his last show.

While no announcement has formally been made, the collection could easily be read as a swansong. It might also explain why almost every look came in gold.

As the Eiffel Tower twinkled with myriad gold lights in the background, a catwalk hung with vast gold chandeliers set the tone for Saint Laurent’s new golden age. 

For spring/summer 2026, every Saint Laurent signature was cast in gold, including pencil skirts, smoking jackets, racerback vests, pussy bow blouses, safari jackets, trench coats, peasant tops, blousons and eveningwear. 

Croesus himself would have envied all the variations of texture and tone, from Byzantine through to Renaissance, matte through to burnished, pale through to luminous, in fabrics such as silk, satin, brocade, leather, latex, lame and guipure lace.

Whether this surfeit of gold was symbolic of Vaccarello’s Midas touch - since being appointed in 2016, he has almost tripled sales - who knows. But if Vaccarello does leave, his successor has a tough act to follow. 

However many trends the fashion industry cycled through, here was a designer who stuck doggedly to his belief that the Saint Laurent woman will always want to look sensual, seductive and sexy. In the pursuit of dressing to be seen, he really did set the gold standard.