Hedi Slimane exits Saint Laurent; Anthony Vaccarello hired

[Creative]

Vaccarello?

Gimme a rest. It's just ridiculous and beyond absurd. That guy has no talent.

I don't get how Saint Laurent would let him go? He's done wonders for their sales and has made the brand rather significant over these years...whether you think his vision is trash or not. He's made an impact and has quite a following.

I can't understand it either. It's almost unbelievable. They killed the goose that laid the golden eggs. It's like they used him just to reposition the brand with the idea to hire someone cheaper in the future.

Fashion CEOS's are the course of fashion. They are ruining the industry.

 

[zoom]

Vaccarello?

Gimme a rest. It's just ridiculous and beyond absurd. That guy has no talent.





I can't understand it either. It's almost unbelievable. They killed the goose that laid the golden eggs. It's like they used him just to reposition the brand with the idea to hire someone cheaper in the future.

Fashion CEOS's are the course of fashion. They are ruining the industry.

Well said. Thats exactly what's going on here. Corporate thinks they know better than creative. Good luck with that YSL.

 

[jnobis]

i want alber to come and bring back the yves

 

[vetements]

Vaccarello?

Gimme a rest. It's just ridiculous and beyond absurd. That guy has no talent.





I can't understand it either. It's almost unbelievable. They killed the goose that laid the golden eggs. It's like they used him just to reposition the brand with the idea to hire someone cheaper in the future.

Fashion CEOS's are the course of fashion. They are ruining the industry.

Agree that CEOs only have balance sheets to care for, but even this (letting him go) decision is beyond any fashion blind CEO. I am guessing it is more him insisting on leaving, likely to a greener pasture which is a pull factor, coupled with them refusing his demands to have full control (push factor).

Whatever it is, it is amazing how much clout he pulls, TFS was so quiet until recently and now it's generating discussion again, viva Hedi!

 

[gossiping]

maybe he left because he just wanted more money ?? i mean as those articles say, he did wonders for the brand sales...or maybe he was just bored of it and wants new challenge...wherever he goes next he'll be a success again though (obviously)

 

[squilliam]

i want alber to come and bring back the yves

Yes! I don't want the Hedi aesthetic to continue or that SLP name to continue. But Alber will most likely start his own brand or go to Dior (which would be good too), and considering how unpleasant his last boss was and how Kering seems to treat their designers horribly imo I don't think he'd wanna work for them.

Please tell me the Vacarello thing is just a rumor and not confirmed

 

[rip_ian curtis]

If Vaccarello goes there, I see just black dresses with some obvious tuxedo detailing and eyelets. If Hedi goes to Chanel, I just see ripped Chanel jackets worn with miniskirts and attitude a la Courtney Love. Please no.

 

[kokobombon]

I doubt Karl will leave Chanel any time soon. It makes more sense imo that Hedi is going to Dior, that could be a tempting enough reason to leave YSL.

 

[Steddycam91]

All this talk of Hedi maybe going to Dior or Chanel just doesn't seem right to me. I thought that if he ever left SLP it would be like him leaving Dior Homme, where he drops out of designing altogether and focuses on other creative interests. He's done everything he's wanted to do and said everything he's wanted to say at Saint Laurent, pretty much completely on his own terms. Would he really want the commitment and the compromise that would be required of those megabrands?


But at this point anything can happen, so I'm ready to be wrong. Maybe Hedi's fully sipping the fashion kool-aid now and sees these big houses opening up, and he wants to move on up.

 

[rip_ian curtis]

The again, would Dior want him back especially when they are in need of longevity now, and Hedi has a history of leaving his job in under 10 years.

 

[IndigoHomme]

Paris has suffered enough lately, Hedi in Chanel would be a great disaster

 

[Fashionstuff]

Why do I feel like Hedi is going to go to Dior? I have no gossip behind this but it just feels like a stunt queen move that Arnault would pull.

Me too.
I can't imagine Dior women by Hedi Slimane but i have same Feeling... Hedi would-could go to Dior.

Karl will not leave Chanel.Hedi now to Chanel-nonsense. Karl was fit during PFW, the discussions about Hedi's exit started weeks ago.
I want see Hedi in Dior, it could be interesting, at least Dior has nothing to loose anymore.

 

[Creative]

All this talk of Hedi maybe going to Dior or Chanel just doesn't seem right to me. I thought that if he ever left SLP it would be like him leaving Dior Homme, where he drops out of designing altogether and focuses on other creative interests. He's done everything he's wanted to do and said everything he's wanted to say at Saint Laurent, pretty much completely on his own terms. Would he really want the commitment and the compromise that would be required of those megabrands?

100% agree. If he is going to do something fashion-related, I bet it will be opening his own fashion brand. Anything else would make no sense.

but even this (letting him go) decision is beyond any fashion blind CEO. I am guessing it is more him insisting on leaving, likely to a greener pasture which is a pull factor, coupled with them refusing his demands to have full control (push factor).

I honestly don't know. And I guess we'll never know. But I think Hedi is quite loyal, I doubt he wanted to quit. I'm pretty sure that if Hedi didn't renew the contract it was due to CEO's not really wanting to renew it. If they were able to bring him back and succumb to all his wishes, I doubt they couldn't give him a little bit more...

I bet the whole thing had to do more with money and creative control than anything else. And considering how much YSL prospered under his tenure, I think those supposed demands would've been legit.

Anyway, the new pace of fashion is simply absurd. They moved the studio to LA, remolded that hôtel particulier, did a complete rebranding, remodeled of the new shops... Just for four years.

But Vaccarello has no personality, so it won't be a huge problem. He will surely follow the steps of Hedi in a way. Maybe they chose him for that.

And Vaccarello has never used color, right? How boring to see someone like him at SL. He doesn't belong there.

 

[MulletProof]

can he exit LA too?

on a serious note, one thing's deeply concerning me and I'll be alone speculating on this: will they revamp soundcloud? will it be left alone? (yes please), will they just remove the account? because, I shower to that..

eta* nvm, the one I play the most is in a thai account, phew.

 

[Wolkfolk]

Though I predicted it, I will never understand Kering. It really seems like they actually don't give a damn about their designers. Clearly like Creative said all they wanted was to reposition the house in the forefront and then get rid of him to save some money by hiring a cheaper copycat.

Like him or not but Hedi was doing wonders for the business at Kering and Saint-Laurent so it just feels absurd. He really established a vision on so many different level besides the name change. As cringe-worthy as it could be at times I've always respected him for that at least he had something to say and give that he believed in. Also the clothes in the shops were actually good. When you bought something you knew you'd keep it forever. Yves Saint-Laurent is a legendary name for many people, to me he will always be the greatest designer ever. Yet Saint Laurent was such a success because it was Saint Laurent by Hedi Slimane and if they think they can just capitalise on that with Anthony Vaccarello they can think again. The guy has no vision besides slits ! Hedi was not a designer, he was a stylist, but most importantly he was a marketting genius. He's the one who initiated this new wave of cult brand following before Michele at Gucci or Demna at Vetements. Sure they can hire someone help but I really don't see how someone so uncharismatic as Vaccarello with really no vision or solid following will do that. And I'm not even sure he can copy thrift shop clothes as well as Hedi since all he seems to do is black and red.

Also can Anthony deliver in menswear ??

I'm still hoping Alber would take over at YSL. Even though I hate Kering , I think he would do so much wonder there and it's much more coherent for him than Dior imo.
Hedi could be one of the contenders for Chanel one day, but certainly not now. I really don't see why Karl would retire right now. As for Dior, the only way he'd do it again is if he can do Dior Homme as well. But it doesn't seem like KVA is leaving so either he's going back to self-exile in LA or he's opening his own brand. He just can't go to another big house and do the exact same thing that he did at Saint Laurent, even Ghesquière isn't doing what he did at Balenciaga for LV. And Hedi is not known for his versatily or compromise. Eager to see what's coming next but all in all fashion is really not fashion anymore, those stupid corporate and CEOs but also designers and their crazy contracts and demands are sucking all the life out of it. It's just business, business , business.

 

[Creative]

Vaccarello, 33, would become only the fourth ready-to-wear designer at YSL.

wwd

Alber, Tom, Stefano, Hedi and Vaccarello. He will be the fifth actually.


Seeing his name in the same list as his precedessors is just...

 

[Moofins]

I'm completely boggled by the decision to elect Vaccarello. Just....yikes.

 

[Phuel]

All these conglomerate labels and their handlers will hopefully just end up eating themselves. Good riddance at this point and hopefully the phoenix(es) will raise from the flames.

Vaccarello at YSL... No words. The handlers want another Olivier/ Balmain phenomenon, it seems. Unfortunate— but that’s the mood in fashionndom these days.

 

[dior_couture1245]

can he exit LA too?

on a serious note, one thing's deeply concerning me and I'll be alone speculating on this: will they revamp soundcloud? will it be left alone? (yes please), will they just remove the account? because, I shower to that..

eta* nvm, the one I play the most is in a thai account, phew.

YOU'RE KILLING ME, MULLET!!! But I totally understand the concern.

My problem with all these designers switching out every 3-4 years is that they re-do everything…branding, logo, celebrity spokespeople, campaign strategies, and most cumbersome of all - they completely re-do all the stores. And then they leave…

Not only is that exhausting for a consumer, it's an absolutely insane expense to completely redesign and renovate these flagships and stores. At this point, it would be wise for these big fashion houses to design more blank slate stores to fill the vision of whoever comes in next. This hasty re-vamp strategy is no good for longevity.

It would be interesting, at this point, if this continues to be the trend is for these ins and outs to be more casual. Designers coming in and working within the structure of what exists - not to worry about what the stores look like…put their energy into making clothes that matter, instead. Clothes that will look good in any environment with any brand logo stitched in the back.

And if Vaccarello is really next…what a shame. I guess we all better get used to the "SEXY!!!" le smoking.

 

[Miss Dalloway]

Not surprised by this news at all! I do wonder what his next move will be.....