The impact of Saint Laurent’s spring/summer 2025 show is already rippling through the streets, with a leather jacket or two becoming the must-have accessory. The morning after the show, Vogue’s Daniel Rodgers was spotted sporting a gently oversized pinstripe blazer as a subtle homage to Bella Hadid’s tailored return to the runway. In Paris, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Gigi Hadid have been making slouchy leather jackets the cornerstone of their street-style looks, while models rushing between casting calls are throwing their own biker jackets over basic outfits.
While the leather jacket is hardly a new wardrobe staple, there’s something undeniably fresh about Saint Laurent’s drop-shouldered, buckled, supple style. On the catwalk, the popped-collar pieces served as protective outerwear to louche suiting, creating a toughened-up take on office wear. “You’re dressed. It’s about control, and power, in a way,” explained Anthony Vaccarello, the creative director behind the brand’s razor-sharp approach to realizing the “relaxed” look.
Away from the glamorous Left Bank headquarters of YSL, the Hadid sisters have been using their softly sloping jackets to infuse nonchalance and grit into their downtime looks (even at Rosalia’s birthday party). No one wants to appear overdressed or overly curated during fashion week, even if, like Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, they have a meticulously planned wardrobe. A textured leather jacket offers the swagger of a biker lifestyle, but with the luxurious comfort of a satin lining.
Autumn always brings with it a resurgence of leather jackets in all their variations (fitted All Saints-inspired zip-ups, aviator Acne Studios styles, Saks Potts-meets-The Matrix trench coats). This season, new versions of the classic jacket proliferated on London’s AW24 runways, with burnished moto jackets at JW Anderson, corseted styles at Dilara Findikoglu, and balloon-sleeved, funnel-collared takes at Knwls and Supriya Lele. Laura Hawkins reported that the most memorable iteration came from Daniel Lee at Burberry, where Maya Wigram, daughter of Phoebe Philo, walked the runway in a belted design that perfectly balanced heritage-chic with moto-babe glamour. The moment felt especially poignant considering Philo has been keeping Chloe Sevigny in covetable high-neck leathers.
While indie sleazers will be thrilled to have their leathers (and their second-skin jeans) back in the spotlight, this season’s jacket mandate demands super-sized zip-ups. Now is not the time to channel your inner Marianne Faithfull in *Girl on a Motorcycle*; instead, rummage through second-hand stores and seek out a rough-and-tough flight jacket that belonged to someone’s late grandpa. This year’s autumn essentials should look well-loved and lived in. Just don’t forget the attitude of Faithfull, Marlon Brando, Patti Smith, and the other leather icons who contributed to the Saint Laurent swagger we’re seeing today. If all else fails, scoring one from YSL is never, ever a bad idea.
