Catwalk on a Sand Dune's Crest - Saint Laurent Takes Distancing in its Stride

Saint Laurent’s presentation of its 2021 Women’s Summer collection showed models walking on the crest of a tall sand dune in the middle of a honey-colored desert. (Saint Laurent)
Saint Laurent’s presentation of its 2021 Women’s Summer collection showed models walking on the crest of a tall sand dune in the middle of a honey-colored desert. (Saint Laurent)
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Catwalk on a Sand Dune's Crest - Saint Laurent Takes Distancing in its Stride

Saint Laurent’s presentation of its 2021 Women’s Summer collection showed models walking on the crest of a tall sand dune in the middle of a honey-colored desert. (Saint Laurent)
Saint Laurent’s presentation of its 2021 Women’s Summer collection showed models walking on the crest of a tall sand dune in the middle of a honey-colored desert. (Saint Laurent)

There were no spectators, no influencers, no fashionistas, at Saint Laurent’s presentation of its 2021 Women’s Summer collection, only drone footage of models walking on the crest of a tall sand dune in the middle of a honey-colored desert.

Every year, France’s top fashion houses compete to find the most spectacular locations in Paris to host their women’s wear shows, but with catwalks closed because of the coronavirus pandemic, brands now try do outdo each other with spectacular locations for their online-only shows.

Already in the first wave of the pandemic in April, Saint Laurent, owned by the Kering conglomerate, broke away from the usual twice-yearly calendar of women’s catwalk shows in Paris.

It revealed its latest collection on Tuesday, designed by Anthony Vaccarello, with a 10-minute Vaccarello fashion film called “I wish you were here”.

Models, some of them struggling to walk in the sand with high heels, showed off sensuous evening wear, others boardroom-ready conservative pantsuits.

The models also donned tight-fitting ribbed skirts under black leather jackets, figure-hugging black dresses with a top-to-bottom zipper, sheer halter dresses and gold-and-black brocade jackets.

The looks were interspersed with some flowing dresses with floral motives. Many models sported YSL-branded mini beltbags to match.

As night fell over the desert - Saint Laurent declined to reveal the location, only saying it was “a desert in the north” - models walked along a ridge of fire burning on the dune’s crest, the flames reflected in the evening sparkle, gold embroidery and Claude Lalanne-designed jewelry.

Saint Laurent said the film was “an invitation for escapism”, without specifying from what. From COVID-19, presumably, and from the year 2020.



South African Fashion Retailer TFG Reports 4.6% Rise in Annual Profit

FILE PHOTO: A shopper walks past a Foschini store (owned by TFG) at a shopping center in Johannesburg, South Africa, November 11, 2022. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A shopper walks past a Foschini store (owned by TFG) at a shopping center in Johannesburg, South Africa, November 11, 2022. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko/File Photo
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South African Fashion Retailer TFG Reports 4.6% Rise in Annual Profit

FILE PHOTO: A shopper walks past a Foschini store (owned by TFG) at a shopping center in Johannesburg, South Africa, November 11, 2022. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A shopper walks past a Foschini store (owned by TFG) at a shopping center in Johannesburg, South Africa, November 11, 2022. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko/File Photo

South African fashion retailer TFG reported a 4.6% rise in annual earnings on Friday thanks to a rebound in sales in Africa in the second half of the year, store expansion and the acquisition of British chain White Stuff.

TFG, which also operates in Australia, said headline earnings per share rose to 10.15 rand ($0.57) in the year ended March 31, up from 9.707 rand. Gross profit was up 6.7% to a record 28.8 billion rand ($1.62 billion).

TFG Africa's sales rose 7% in the second half after falling 0.1% in the first half. For the full year, sales rose by 3.7%, Reuters said.

Group online sales now contribute 12% of total sales, driven by the "continued success of our Bash platform, which has reached profitability two years ahead of schedule - a very likely unique achievement in the South African retail space," TFG CEO Anthony Thunström said.

TFG's total group revenue rose by 4.1% to 62.6 billion rand for the year, while retail sales increased 3.6%, boosted by 8.7% sales growth in the second half after a 2% contraction in the first half, supported by store expansions across all territories and the acquisition of fashion and lifestyle retailer White Stuff in the UK.

In Britain, TFG's annual sales rose by 16.4% in pounds, following the acquisition, while TFG Australia continued to face difficult trading conditions, with sustained high inflation and interest rates impacting the consumer.

The retailer declared a final dividend of 230 cents per share.