Hedi Slimane - Designer

[Lola701]

I find rather unsurprising that you ended up buying such an outfit when (through the examples of Helmut and Jil) it‘s always been clear to me that Hedi‘s womenswear-specific offerings are but an afterthought of his menswear design approach (similar to when people like Kris Van Assche, Nicolas Andreas Taralis, Neil Barrett or Juun J. design womenswear from a very menswear-oriented point of view). For me it‘s clear that you go to him for great tailoring, separates, a great boot with a comfortable height etc. - Perhaps it‘s also a cultural thing, as coming from the perspective of middle/northern Europe or Asia, women often prefer a look that is less feminine and frivolous. A lot of women I know never wear a shoe with a heel and barely wear make-up at all.

When he accepted Saint Laurent and Celine in the fashion climate, it came with the demands that it needed to work on a global market, where before he did not have to stretch his creativity much at Dior (other than the sneakers and printed t-shirts I never cared much for). I still look with estrangement at certain products that to me clearly read as an effort to have something to sell, say, in the Middle East where his vision might be a tough sell.

His womenswear is almost all styling exercises, more than how his last two tenures could be argued as wholly such. Not that they’re not effective.

I know many of his menswear customers who’d rather have the direction he had at Celine womenswear. They were complaining that the menswear was too ‘avant-garde’ and not classic Hedi. Personally I find his menswear work at Celine far better than at Saint Laurent (2.0). There was some form of challenge.

The irony about his work is that I bought some womenswear from his Saint Laurent. In reality, while the offering at Celine was very much consistent, it was very « elevated basics » in a way and when I look at the collections that I enjoyed, they were maybe too bourgeoises and almost too Chloe-like for me.
In reality, Hedi’s womenswear doesn’t have the edge that his presentation suggests.

This is the look I bought from the menswear.
I was attracted by the styling, the unusual combination and cut. I wore it with leopard pumps (im not that much of a rock chick) and my Paco Rabanne chelsea/cowboy boots.


It’s a pity that we never got this kind of bold and yet subtle proposition from him as a womenswear designer ever.

But I think Hedi is the perfect designer for basics. I wanted a specific Car Coat, I saw it at Celine and Burberry. He does the best peacoats for men, jeans and things like that and as I said, he has the talent to present it in a way that feels fashion despite it all being basics.