The fashion house formerly known as Yves Saint Laurent is now simply Saint Laurent with the addition of Hedi Slimane installed as new creative director. The rechristened name change came this past March along with a new logo, add campaign and a new home base in Los Angeles.
Slimane debuted his first womenswear collection with very little of the usual YSL trappings. Known for his dramatic approach to things, Slimane’s presentation of the Saint Laurent 2013 spring collection was just that. He presented the collection in a starck black venue, a rectangle shaped room was the only thing visible until an intense light show began and the ceiling panels opened to reveal lights and sound equipment which came down over the runway.
The inspiration for the collection was that of a 70’s L.A rocker and was dedicated to Pierre Berge. Slimane referenced the 1970s, a time when Yves Saint Laurent was at the peak of success. Each look highlighted the best of YSL, infused with a touch of Hedi Slimane.
His predominate use of black was a homage to Yves Saint Laurent, black being his favorite color. As Yves Saint Laurent famously said: “fashion fades, style is eternal.”
The show opened with an ensemble that referenced the famous 1966 “Le Smoking” tuxedo,
infused with Slimane’s edgy aesthetic and ultra-slim proportions with Model Julia Nobis sporting
an elegant silk pussy bow blouse tied at the neck and a peaked shouldered jacket with fitted vest and the perfect cigarette pants. Then he moved on to floor-sweeping, full-sleeve dresses, that looked similar to the dresses worn by Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac.The dresses were paired with light, floor-skimming chiffon capes and floppy large brimmed hats. A long suede dress was decorated with fringe referencing YSL’s Saharienne jacket with suede laces.
Slimane holds the future to one of the most influential and storied fashion houses of our time. Wiping out all past reinterpretations from YSL, what will Slimane show us next?
