THE Yves Saint Laurent archive is so rich in themes that Tom Ford could have plucked almost anything from the bag last night, from safari suits or conical breast suits to the Ballet Russes and, still be seen to pay lip service to the maestro’s legacy.
In the event, he chose to revisit Saint Laurent’s Mongolian and Chinese influences for his seventh and final outing for France’s most revered (along with Dior) fashion brand, with many an illusion to The Last Emperor. Fluke, or a veiled comment on the end of Ford’s tenure at the house? Given the fashion world’s relish for coded signals, it’s a safe bet that there was more than coincidence at play here.
At any rate, the show drew an