Saint Laurent Babylone is set to unveil a compelling photography exhibition by Hugo Mapelli, personally curated by Creative Director Anthony Vaccarello. The show opens January 20 and runs through March 22, 2026, presenting a rare opportunity to experience work that exists at the intersection of historical photographic processes and contemporary fashion imagery.
The Artist: Hugo Mapelli
Mapelli represents a singular voice in contemporary photography. The Paris-based artist and filmmaker began his career as an assistant to two of fashion’s most influential image-makers: Peter Lindbergh and Hedi Slimane. That dual apprenticeship under a master of raw, unretouched beauty and an architect of razor-sharp minimalism clearly shaped Mapelli’s own visual language, though he has since carved out territory entirely his own.
His practice is rooted in the darkroom, a space that has become increasingly rare in an era dominated by digital workflows. Mapelli’s hands-on approach favors manual gestures, chance encounters, and experimental processes that most contemporary photographers have never attempted. Cyanotypes, photograms, calotypes, and luminograms form the foundation of his experimental vocabulary. These 19th-century techniques produce works that blur the boundaries between photography, sculptural object, and pure abstraction.
Working primarily with film, Mapelli captures texture and emotional depth with a precision that digital processes often struggle to replicate. His photographs combine portraiture, architecture, and landscape, frequently employing light effects and minimalist compositions to isolate fleeting, intimate moments that might otherwise escape notice.
The Exhibition
The Saint Laurent Babylone presentation offers a curated selection that reflects Mapelli’s ongoing dialogue between ancient craftsmanship and contemporary imagination. His work reflects on imperfection, traces, and material memory, themes that resonate deeply with Vaccarello’s own approach to the Saint Laurent archive and its constant reinvention.
Mapelli’s universe revolves around fashion and abstraction, drawing from strong pictorial inspiration to create images that feel both timeless and immediate. His client roster reads like a who’s who of luxury: Aesop, Cartier, Chanel, Chloé, Dom Pérignon, Hermès, and Lancôme have all sought his distinctive vision. Editorial work for Numéro Berlin, Wallpaper, Port Magazine, Twin, Noisé Magazine, and Harper’s Bazaar Italy further demonstrates his range.
All exhibited artworks will be available for purchase, and a dedicated fanzine will be sold in stores.
Saint Laurent Rive Droite: The Cultural Platform
The exhibition takes place within Saint Laurent Rive Droite, the creative and cultural destination conceptualized by Vaccarello. The name itself is a deliberate nod to the legendary Rive Gauche line that helped democratize fashion and luxury in the 1960s.
The flagship location at 213 rue Saint-Honoré in Paris anchors a global network that extends to 469 Rodeo Drive in Los Angeles, 72 Gansevoort Street in New York, and N2-18&28&38, No.19 Taikoo Li Sanlitun Road in Beijing. These spaces function as retail destinations, yes, but also as platforms for expression, exchange, and lifestyle. The programming encompasses exclusive pieces, limited editions, a curated library, vintage finds, music, photography, art, performances, exhibitions, events, and cultural exchanges.
Vaccarello has positioned Rive Droite as an extension of Saint Laurent’s DNA, an amusing and chic interpretation of the house’s contemporary universe that reaches beyond traditional fashion retail into broader creative and design territories.
Exhibition Details
- Dates: January 20 – March 22, 2026
- Location: Saint Laurent Babylone, Paris
- Curator: Anthony Vaccarello
All artworks available for sale. Fanzine available in stores.
hugo is just amazing! So glad the guy gets some spotlight.