It’s Official: Stefano Pilati Will Leave Yves St. Laurent

[Salvatore]

Very interesting !
I cannot wait to see if it is true. I do love Pilati quite a bit so it would be somewhat sad, however he's not irreplaceable.

 

[mackos]

I don't really believe Pilati would leave, but for me he can be out this very minute, I've never been particularly excited by his work.

 

[Squizree]

If he really does leave I really don't want them to hire a minimalist designer. YSL needs to be fun and exciting again.

 

[jun3machina]

^ITA! come on hedi!! revive YSL for me pretty please! or dear god, just get tom ford back already!

 

[Flashbang]

Hedi Slimane Replacing Stefano Pilati at YSL?

By now you've heard the oft-revived rumor that Stefano Pilati is on the outs with YSL. We started hearing it again before New York Fashion Week and of course it reminded us of our own posts on the subject exactly one Fashion Week ago, in which we detailed the various chain reactions that could take place if the rumor turned out to be true.

Well, our sources are now telling us that, after interviewing everyone from Raf Simons to Olivier Theyskens, YSL execs have indeed found a replacement for Stefano, whose fall 2011 collection will be his last, and it's someone who's already spent time at YSL, before he made his name at Dior Homme: Hedi Slimane. The others mostly likely turned down the job because of Pierre Berge's control-freakish ways, but Pierre and Hedi are old friends. So there you go, the dénouement to the rumors, tied with a bow. But of course nothing is final until the announcement is made.

So why have YSL execs been shopping the position around? Because, say our sources, sales have not just been poor; they're almost nonexistent. And former CEO Valerie Hermann (who we're told didn't just leave her post last week, as reported, but was let go) apparently was a contributing factor. As for that three-year contract Stefano recently signed at YSL? Say our sources: "Contracts are made to be broken." Especially where abysmal sales are concerned.

Here's more juiciness. If Carine Roitfeld doesn't launch Harper's Bazaar in France, she'll most likely work with Hedi at YSL, probably in a consulting capacity.

So where does this leave Stefano? Where will he go? First, don't worry, because he's talented and beloved. And while it may seem like a long shot, consider the possibility that he'd go to Armani, perhaps the plummiest of all jobs. Only when the time is right, of course.

hintmag.com

 

[Salvatore]

I think I am more excited to see how this news goes than the collections now.

 

[xPedro]

I'm sad, I loved Pilati's work for YSL.

 

[Crying Diamonds]

^ I like.

 

[Label Basher]

I've never been a huge fan of Stefano but I still appreciated what he did at YSL. His vision stayed true to the brand more than what Tom Ford did. Sales aside I thought Pierre Berge was happy with his work. I hope he doesn't disappear and goes to another label.

 

[jun3machina]

im ready for a change honestly. i didn't feel he fit YSL personally....im really excited about this now!

 

[rox_yr_sox]

I think a bit of change is good. I have no idea how Slimane will be like at YSl but I'm excited to see. I feel bad for Pilati and really hope he is going to get Armani, but Giorgio has been going for ages and shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.

 

[CrisGalaxy]

OMG, so Hedi is really for real taking YSL???

 

[fantastical]

I'm highly interested in what Silmane could bring to the label, even as much as I like Stefano for YSL

 

[LabelWhore4]

At this point I'm ready to see what anyone could do with the label. For me he's been a dark cloud over the house. He's a fantastic designer, but not a good fit for YSL.

 

[Flashbang]

ALL ABOUT YVES: Truth does not get in the way of Twitter. Asked Thursday about wanton online speculation of an imminent designer change at Yves Saint Laurent, PPR chairman and chief executive officer François-Henri Pinault firmly denied any plans to dislodge the incumbent, Stefano Pilati. A blizzard of articles and blog entries — ignited by a tweet posted on a Kenzo p.r. account Wednesday — made it sound as if a designer, possibly Hedi Slimane, was poised to unseat Pilati. On the contrary, Pinault has been unequivocal in his public support of Pilati, credited with helping YSL swing back to profitability in 2010, registering operating income of 11.6 million euros, or $15.4 million.

Last week, Pilati sat front row at PPR’s results presentation, where Pinault praised him and YSL ceo Valérie Hermann for the French firm’s current momentum. Disclosing plans to enlarge YSL’s retail network, he even ribbed Pilati good-naturedly about filling all the new stores with merchandise.

No doubt Hermann’s imminent exit — she will become ceo at Reed Krakoff in April — helped sparked the rumor mill. This isn’t the first time YSL has had to silence gossip mongers. In 2007, the house revealed the renewal of Pilati’s contract at a time when he was rumored to be headed to Valentino, or about to be replaced.

Meanwhile, a Kenzo spokesman said Wednesday he did not know who posted the incendiary tweet, which has since been removed. “This is not at all the kind of information that we would have access to or would have any interest in spreading,” he added.

wwd.com

 

[Salvatore]

Shame, it sounded amazing.

 

[CrisGalaxy]

^ it really did... I was really hoping for Hedi to make a comeback

 

[mackos]

Shame, it sounded amazing.

It really did.

So not fair, once in a lifetime they get you excited only to take it away in few days.

 

[taz]

According to Vogue.co.uk

STEFANO PILATI is the favourite to take over from John Galliano at Christian Dior. Bookmakers Paddy Power have revealed that the current Yves Saint Laurent creative director is the current odds leader at 11/8 followed by Hedi Slimane at 9/4.

 

[style_expert]

Pilati will leave ysl for sure. I think they'll announce it after the show