For those who don't have in their Google Reader every fashion magazine out there, here is a Step by Step Guide on how the Hedi Slimane at YSL debut went. You need to see the chronology to understand what is going on and why I'm planning to go vintage hunting for Saint Laurent Rive Gauche or shopping in outlets for Yves Saint Laurent by Stefano Pilati.
1 - Stefano Pilati leaves YSL
Stefano Pilati overtakes YSL in 2004 from Tom Ford while the brand is undergoing huge losses. Stefano Pilati was the designer who made YSL profittable for the first time in years, this due to the introduction of accessories like the Muse bag and the Tribute shoe. Him leaving was a surprise given that you don't have to fix something when it ain't broken."I exit the house with fierce conviction in all that we have achieved and deep gratitude to those who have supported me along the way," said Pilati. "I wish the maison Yves Saint Laurent and its new creative director the very best for the future. [WWD]
2 - Hedi Slimane is appointed as the new designer Hedi Slimane, a former menswear designer at YSL and Dior, which has spent this past years photographing in black&white and publishing on his diary, is announced to be the new designer of YSL Womenswear.
'As one of the most important French fashion houses, Yves Saint Laurent today possesses formidable potential, which I am confident will be successfully harnessed and revealed through the vision of Hedi Slimane.' - François-Henri Pinault, PPR Chairman and Chief Executive Officer [Telegraph]3 - Yves Saint Laurent name change is announcedHedi Slimane has been given full control over decisions at YSL. Just a short time after him taking the place as the designer of the Paris fashion house it is announced that the name will change to Saint Laurent Paris going back to the old name. No one liked or understood this decision given that usually a name change is a strategy of recovery when your existing brand image isn't working. More over the YSL logo is beautiful as it is and SLP didn't look a great fit.
Slimane will use the house's "original branding" in order to restore "the house to its truth, purity and essence - and taking it into a new era", while "respecting the original principles and ideals". [Vogue]
4. Pierre Berge loves the name change
Pierre Berge founded the fashion Yves Saint-Laurent in 1961 together with the designer and is considered 'the Guardian' of the brand.'I’m very happy. Anything that makes the house more Saint Laurent is welcome ... I am happy that Stefano Pilati is gone, just as I was happy when Tom Ford left.' [NYTimes]
5- The brand will be called YSL, Yves Saint Laurent, Saint Laurent and Saint Laurent Paris, Saint Laurent by Hedi Slimane all at once. We are confused.The PR team of the fashion brand tries to clarify the brand logo change and how should journalist refer to it when writting, blogging, tweeting or tumblering (they didn't go to extends of 'speaking' or 'thinking').The fashion house is referred as... Yves Saint LaurentThe logo remains unchanged for beauty products or accessories ... YSLThe Ready-to-Wear collection is named... Saint Laurent The credits on any the images starting from the SS13 collection should be given as... Saint Laurent by Hedi SlimaneThe RTW collection logo will be written... Saint Laurent Paris
The above info were given to Business of Fashion during a controversy with the YSL PR Team through many email exchanges. Emails which weren't supposed to be published. Bravo Imran!!!
6 - Saint Laurent by Hedi Slimane debuts during Paris Fashion Week... and the reviews.Editors sitting in second row, some standing and many others not invited Hedi Slimane debuts his Spring Summer RTW 2013 Womenswear collection. While many praised the the clothes they managed to see during a 12 minute runway show, under a half dark light and with no access to the collection or the designer backstage, there were others who didn't appreciate it the way Slimane expected:Robin Givhan, The Daily Beast - [The Saint Laurent suits] appear to be cut for the sort of woman who has the physique of a 12-year-old boy. She is not merely slender; she is hipless. She doesn’t have much of a tush either. Lisa Armstrong, The Telegraph - the accessories were slightly underwhelming. That said, paradoxically for a designer who has positioned himself (geographically as well as metaphorically) as an outsider, an artiste, and a free spirit - it was also extremely commercial.
Laura Craik, The Times -All the things you seem to love and value — music, fun, sexiness — require freedom. You have yours. I have mine. Without it, we are nothing. So please, don’t ban me from your next show, because I really want to see it. We all do. We like you, even though you treat us like a bitch.Kathy Horyn, NY Times - The collection was a nice but frozen vision of a bohemian chick at the Chateau Marmont. Or in St. Tropez. Mr. Slimane’s clothes lacked a new fashion spirit. Indeed, it was as though he refused to interpret the YSL style, beyond updating proportions. Even the colors seemed flat, suppressed. Of course, in the past two decades, a host of designers and vintage-minded stylists have successfully traded on the look. I had the impression from the clothes of someone disconnected from fashion of the past several years. If so, that might be an interesting perspective. But there wasn’t something new to learn here.7. Hedi Slimane responds to Kathy Horyn. The situation becomes ridiculous.
12:13 AM - 4 Oct 12 Details " data-is-reply-to="" data-item-id="253618843614851073" data-name="Hedi Slimane" data-screen-name="hedislimanetwit" data-tweet-id="253618843614851073" data-user-id="94510546" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(232, 232, 232); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; cursor: pointer; min-height: 51px; padding: 9px 12px; position: relative; zoom: 1;">4 Oct
12:07 AM - 4 Oct 12 Details " data-is-reply-to="" data-item-id="253617193328209921" data-name="Hedi Slimane" data-screen-name="hedislimanetwit" data-tweet-id="253617193328209921" data-user-id="94510546" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(232, 232, 232); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; cursor: pointer; min-height: 51px; padding: 9px 12px; position: relative; zoom: 1;">4 Oct
And this is the situation right now. Not a good start for Hedi Slimane at Yves Saint Laurent. I wouldn't have expected a Kanye West behavior. Even though, if you remember the Kanye West speech after his first Paris show, it appears they are besties and apparently Hedi Slimane was among those who pushed him to 'do his own thing'. Look how that worked out.Images: [1. Saint Laurent campaign for Fall Winter 2012 via YSL facebook, 2. Open letter to Kathy Horyn by Hedi Slimane via his twitter account]
