# Raw meets refined

By [Brandon Donnelly](https://paragraph.com/@brandondonnelly), 2026-09-06

architecture, fashion, paris, anthony vaccarello, brutalism, brutalist, design, fashion, paris, saint laurent, ysl, yves saint laurent

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I love how Saint Laurent’s creative director, [Anthony Vaccarello](https://www.instagram.com/anthonyvaccarello/?hl=en), has taken a form of brutalism — corduroy-imprinted concrete and generally raw and exposed materials — and elevated it to high fashion. It’s a perfect example of “raw meets refined.” And you’ll find this approach in its stores all around the world, including in Toronto on Bloor Street. For me, it’s also a great microcosm of Paris. This is a city with a deep, rich history, but one that isn’t afraid to disrupt that history and look forward when it makes sense to do so.

![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/761d0f6196b750ddae6903e5a3537bc2739e84bbf7ac55057137aced91382d2e.jpg)

![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/fb8991b0b39727371311192ebafd18ba3e2926292644929db3e306ee8daab060.jpg)

![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/ecfef45492ba1a4c95c6e86de6f406a8613af480a11d59df413b796fca60b1c6.jpg)

![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/543f2840a32720fd3e35ca25f12b4835b5e362f8a3c4d0bff3ecea5edcc0faee.jpg)

![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/386e5a468194440ddb9b7c26341e86f7b3916e41761207e898453aab4551a20d.jpg)

![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/d9ad0fb434da75bdfc8b9a72d51069c36b418f514c9ec8ec79057ddb7600a390.jpg)

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*Originally published on [Brandon Donnelly](https://paragraph.com/@brandondonnelly/raw-meets-refined)*