PHOTO COURTESY OF SAINT LAURENT
The Icare needs little introduction. Since arriving in 2022, Saint Laurent’s oversized quilted tote steadily established itself as one of the maison’s modern icons. Four years on, Anthony Vaccarello revisits the silhouette through the new Icare that comes in the form of a maxi tote.
The most obvious change lies in the branding itself. Where the OG proudly centred its bronze YSL Cassandre motif, this new version adopts a considerably quieter approach instead. Tonal leather inlays now create a subtler visual identity while sharpening the tote’s overall sophistication.
Materiality also shifts dramatically. The original arrived in soft quilted lambskin, complete with tactile Carré overstitching giving the bag an almost archival softness. This new iteration replaces that finish with smooth calfskin, thus introducing greater structure, durability and polish. Think of it as the Icare growing up gracefully. Inside, grosgrain lining gives way to supple suede, further elevating the tactile experience every time you reach within.
One of the Icare’s smartest features also returns through its inner chain mechanism. The expansive 55 cm silhouette can collapse inward and clip neatly into a more upright trapezoidal shape measuring 37 cm across. While the original lambskin version already offered this flexibility, the new calfskin construction holds its form far more convincingly thanks to its inherent structure. So when you tuck those wings in, they stay in.
Comparisons aside, both iterations hit entirely different emotional registers. The lambskin original felt relaxed and effortless, whereas the calfskin edition feels deliberate and declarative instead. Retailing at SGD9000, the Saint Laurent's new Icare also includes a removable leather pouch finished in the same warm Barley hue.
