Saint Laurent’s Spring/Summer 2025 Campaign Merges Art and Fashion with Francesco Clemente

Under the creative direction of Anthony Vaccarello, Saint Laurent has continually redefined its role in the luxury fashion landscape, becoming a global tastemaker beyond the runway. In recent years, the French house has ventured into a variety of cultural projects, including the launch of a hand-curated bookstore, Babylone; the opening of a Parisian outpost of the popular celebrity hotspot Sushi Park; and a partnership with Bang & Olufsen to revive vintage sound systems, appealing to audiophiles around the world.

For Saint Laurent’s spring/summer 2025 campaign, Vaccarello continues to push the envelope by commissioning renowned multidisciplinary artist Francesco Clemente. Known for his iconic and ephemeral portraits, Clemente’s work will bring the collection to life by painting it directly onto models and close friends of the house, including Zoë Kravitz, who graces the cover of ELLE’s March issue.

Clemente, who rose to fame in the 1970s and ’80s, was part of a groundbreaking generation of artists who redefined contemporary sexual expression, alongside figures like Rebecca Horn and Cindy Sherman. His collaborations with cultural giants such as Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat further cemented his place in the art world. For those unfamiliar with his work, Clemente may also be recognized for his cameo as a hypnotist in the classic film Good Will Hunting.

The spring/summer 2025 campaign pays homage to both Clemente’s artistic vision and the mid-’80s heyday of Yves Saint Laurent, who, during that era, was known for power suiting, bold contrasting colors, and painterly influences. Saint Laurent himself was a lifelong patron of the arts, often drawing inspiration from famous artists like Van Gogh and Georges Braque, as seen in his spring/summer 1988 collection.

Clemente’s artistic approach to the Saint Laurent collection perfectly captures the sensuality of the pieces, abstracting the bold styles from the runway into his signature painterly form. Each painting directly reflects a look from the 2025 collection, from brocade jackets and lace ruffled blouses to sharp-shouldered suits. Alongside Kravitz, Clemente has also painted models Ajus Samuel, Penelope Ternes, and Italian actress Isabella Ferrari, adding a layer of artistic depth to the fashion house's latest campaign.