Ladies, gentlemen, and everyone in between, we gather here today to mourn the departure of the great, talented, and ever-so-cool Hedi Slimane from one of the hottest fashion houses of the moment, Saint Laurent. At the end of March, in the midst of allegations Hedi was to leave the label, his resignation was confirmed by Saint Laurent's parent company, Kering SA.
Hedi's more popular stint at Saint Laurent lasted four years (he designed for the brand for two years starting in 1997 before leaving to design for Dior Homme), from 2012 to 2016, and to be frank, it was nothing short of a fashion renaissance. The iconic brand was founded in 1961 by Yves Saint Laurent and partner Pierre Bergé. YSL popularized the Le Smoking tuxedo jacket for women, the safari jacket, and multiple collections based off popular art movements such as a pop art collection and the iconic Mondrian-inspired mod shift dress, and after following in the footsteps of designers who worked for YSL including Yves himself, Alber Elbaz, Tom Ford, and Stefano Pilati, Hedi succeeded them only to breathe new life into the label, turning it into one of the most popular and fastest growing brands as of late.
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| Helmut Newton |
After being announced as creative director, Slimane threw the industry for a loop, as he dropped the "Yves" from Yves Saint Laurent, leaving the brand to be called "Saint Laurent". He moved the design studio from Paris to Los Angeles, Slimane's muse of a city. Saint Laurent collections took on a rock and roll-chic aesthetic, and pieces such as leather jackets, floral silk blouses, black sun hats, slouchy/grungy layers, fun boots, and slim cut pants became synonymous with the label. With pieces fit for the wardrobes of rock stars such as Mick Jagger and David Bowie (two people Hedi had previously designed and styled for), Slimane's musical inspiration was obvious. In 2013, The Saint Laurent Music Project was introduced. This campaign showcased music greats like Marilyn Manson, Joni Mitchell, and Courtney Love, cementing Saint Laurent's cool, rock aesthetic.
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| Photo Courtesy of Yves Saint Laurent |
To exemplify this youthful, rebellious vibe inspired by music, one of Slimane's final shows for Saint Laurent for Fall 2016 was held at the Palladium concert hall in Los Angeles, the city believed by Hedi to be the modern-day fashion hub equivalent to Paris. Music stars like Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber sat front row, and androgynous models strutted down the runway in typical Hedi fashion, sporting bold prints and sunglasses and cool jackets.
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Indigital.tv
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| Indigital.tv |
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| Indigital.tv |
His final collection with the label was shown at a private show only open to VIP's at the Hôtel de Sénecterre during Paris Fashion Week. Contrary to his typical vintage, grunge-y collections, this one consisted of beautifully sequin mini-dresses and jumpsuits, chic pant suits, dramatic shoulders, and bright colored furs. It was a swan song done right.
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| Kim WestonArnold/Indigital.tv |
What's in the future for Saint Laurent? Shortly after Slimane's departure, the label announced that Anthony Vaccarello would be his successor. Vaccarello has had a successful career in fashion so far, working with Karl Lagerfeld at Fendi, starting his own brand, and being the creative director of Versus Versace. Whether Vaccarello will bring his sultry style to Saint Laurent is unclear, but what will be obvious is the impact Slimane has left. For now we bid adieu to you Hedi, thanks for four great years.
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