Fashion house Saint Laurent has officially launched its summer campaign, titled “Respiro,” creatively overseen by artistic director Anthony Vaccarello. Translated from Italian, the name means “breath” or “rest,” and accordingly, the campaign invites viewers to slow down and savor the present summer moment.
South African photographer Henrik Purienne shot the campaign along the Mediterranean coast of southern France. For the setting, he chose the historic Villa Santo Sospir, once decorated by Jean Cocteau himself. Nearby, in Menton, stands the Jean Cocteau Museum, designed by architect Rudy Ricciotti, who also created Marseille’s MUCEM.
Additionally, the photographer worked with natural golden light, grainy texture, and heavy shadow contrast. As a result, the images read like a nostalgic European film from the 1970s. Models Loli Bahia, Vittoria Ceretti, Mona Tougaard, Jenn Du Puy, and SJ took the lead roles throughout the campaign.
Fashion outlet vein.es summed up the campaign aptly, describing it as a physical state of mind coming alive within Respiro. There, Saint Laurent’s sensuality meets the Mediterranean landscape, along with Jean Cocteau’s mythological imagination.
Beach Grammar
Sheer blouses and lightweight windbreakers alternate with draped tulle dresses in deep green and red, while a classic Cassandre logo tank top pairs with retro-cut swimwear. Among the pieces, an archival red sweatshirt bearing the original Yves Saint Laurent script also appears, pulled straight from the brand’s own archive.
The Panier and Loulou bags arrive in a summer-ready woven raffia, joined by transparent footwear, oversized jewelry, and Howl sunglasses. Nothing here feels like a seasonal add-on. Instead, each piece functions as part of one deliberate, unified image.
However, Respiro doesn’t stop at clothing. Through its Rive Droite division, the brand also claims space beyond fashion altogether: a tennis racket created with Wilson, a hand-assembled Jitensha electric bicycle, a Fieldbar cooler, and transparent surfboards branded with the YSL logo. Here, fashion becomes just one layer within a broader seaside lifestyle.
