Review of Saint Laurent Summer 2025 Ad Campaign by Creative Director Anthony Vaccarello and Photographer Mark Kean with models Ajus Samuel, Apolline Rocco Fohrer, Noor Khan, and Tanya Churbanova
Saint Laurent’s Summer 2025 campaign, conceived under the creative direction of Anthony Vaccarello and captured through the lens of photographer Mark Kean, offers a striking exploration of silhouette, subversion, and Parisian polish. With hair by Duffy and makeup by the legendary Pat McGrath, the campaign leans into Saint Laurent’s signature codes of power dressing and androgyny, rendered with a contemporary, cinematic edge. Models Ajus Samuel, Apolline Rocco Fohrer, Noor Khan, and Tanya Churbanova embody the house’s vision with sculptural elegance and steely poise.
The campaign images unfold in a coolly restrained environment—muted backdrops, minimal props, and studio lighting that sculpts the garments with reverent precision. The clothing is the star: structured suiting, dramatic shoulders, fluid blouses, and luxe fabrics coalesce in a study of proportion and posture. There’s a sense of mise-en-scène, each model striking a pose that suggests both vulnerability and control, their bodies draped, twisted, and perched in a series of calculated gestures. The result evokes the theatricality of Helmut Newton’s fashion tableaux while keeping the tone quiet, modern, and aloof.
Where this campaign excels is in its clarity of vision. Vaccarello continues to refine his take on Saint Laurent’s legacy—particularly the interplay of masculinity and femininity—without resorting to nostalgia. The gender-blurring tailoring feels both timely and timeless, and the casting is both elegant and diverse in sensibility. However, there is a certain emotional detachment in the images; the models appear encased in their own coolness, which may leave some viewers craving a deeper narrative or spark of spontaneity. Still, this restraint could be intentional—a comment on image-making itself as a form of sculptural performance.
Saint Laurent Creative Director | Anthony Vaccarello
Photographer | Mark Kean
Models | Ajus Samuel, Apolline Rocco Fohrer, Noor Khan, and Tanya Churbanova
Hair | Duffy
Makeup | Pat McGrath
Manicurist | Alexandra Janowski
Casting Director | Samuel Ellis Scheinman