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

[tarsha]

Stefano Pilati's failure to appear at last night's Metropolitan Opera Gala, Yves Saint Laurent's biggest event of the year stateside, raised a few eyebrows, The Daily reports. For the last two years running, Pilati has showed at the event, usually with Anna Wintour by his side, but last night neither appeared.

Apparently during Paris Fashion Week, talk turned to Pilati's sales performance at the brand: top retailers reported that Yves Saint Laurent's accessories sell well (Pilati has a foundation in shoes and bags) but the ready-to-wear fails to resonate with customers. Rumors that PPR is searching for a new creative director at the brand ensued.
Chloe Sevigny, for one, who attended last night in a YSL jumpsuit, was outspoken about her disappointment in Pilati's absence. “I came to hang out with Stefano and now he’s not here so I’m kind of disappointed,” she told WWD. The brand's spokeswoman denied any rift between Pilati and the label and explained: "He was busy with current work on the collection as well as the advertising campaign."
Valerie Hermann, CEO of Saint Laurent in the US, also addressed the matter during her speech last night at the event: "Stefano Pilati, YSL’s creative director, has asked me to convey how sorry he is not to be able to join us tonight, and sends his very best wishes from Paris, where he is busy with the coming collection. Somebody still has to work in this company.”
The brand's reps say Pilati will be in New York for the Costume Institute Gala on May 3 and will also show the YSL Cruise 2011 collection in Manhattan.

fashionologie

 

[Chanelcouture09]

i doubt he will be replaced, he works brilliantly at YSL, plus alot of brands make most of their profit from their accessories

 

[ALAUU]

I think it would be a bad move to replace him when he does do so well with the accessories. Replacing him would just create a Valentino-like fiasco and destabilize a pretty strong brand.

 

[LabelWhore4]

^I totally agree!

 

[Chanelcouture09]

to be honest over his years at YSL he's built a strong brand and a hude band of followers, the likes of Kate Moss and Carine, i totally agree, it'd make another Valentino Fiasco

 

[IAmLordZen]

Here's another article

Stefano Pilati Misses a Party, Prompts Rumors of Rift With YSL

No, fashion people, you cannot miss a fancy party and a chance to strut to and fro for the cameras and your closest air-kissing friends! For work obligations, of all things. People will gossip about you! More so than usual! After Yves St. Laurent designer Stefano Pilati failed to show at the Metropolitan Opera Gala this week (Yves. St. Laurent is a big opera sponsor), Daily Front Row reported that rumors were circulating that his absence was due to Yves St. Laurent not being happy with his work at the house. The site reports retailers were talking during Paris Fashion Week about how Pilati's YSL accessories sell well, but his ready-to-wear doesn't. When he didn't show to this week's gala (he's gone the two years prior at Anna Wintour's side), rumors that the label was searching for a new designer reportedly intensified.

A YSL spokeswoman told the Daily, "He was busy with current work on the collection as well as the advertising campaign." In a dinner speech, YSL ceo Valérie Hermann addressed Pilati's absence:

“Finally, Stefano Pilati, YSL’s creative director, has asked me to convey how sorry he is not to be able to join us tonight, and sends his very best wishes from Paris, where he is busy with the coming collection, “ she said. “Somebody still has to work in this company.”


Spokespeople added that Pilati will be in town for the Costume Institute Gala on May 3 (though the house isn't buying a table) and in New York again to show his cruise collection. Critics haven't been overly thrilled with Pilati's recent collections for the label, but that only gives him further reason to choose work over parties. Free Champagne in this town isn't going anywhere.

nymag

 

[Scott]

to be honest over his years at YSL he's built a strong brand and a hude band of followers, the likes of Kate Moss and Carine, i totally agree, it'd make another Valentino Fiasco

honestly,the love of celeb and fashion industry folk alone is not what makes a strong brand.....sales as a whole are. and it's understandable-the last year has been a huge economic barrier and really this entire industry has been affected. especially has been difficult for major luxury houses.

if indeed what they're alluding to is true,it probably is a result of the experiences of the last year or so.

 

[Chanelcouture09]

Yeah i agree, the economic situation hasn't helped anyone, but the accessories market is larger than RTW, in a general situation, brands like LV open stores dedicated to accessories and IMO one of the biggest luxury brands do it then its obvious that its worth it
women also find it easier to buy a bag or a pair of shoes easier than a dress or jacket, and no matter how much we all know its down to the customer to decide what they buy
i think in a whole it would be a shame to lose Stefano at YSL because he has such a great eye and works well with the aesthetic of YSL and i hope this is a false rumor to get tongues wagging

 

[Crying Diamonds]

I really hope Stefano isn't replaced - his constant surprises are really what get me excited about Paris fashion week.

..Though whenever this sort of rumour goes around I always wonder what these houses would be like under someone different.

 

[cesarcmma]

To be honest I haven't loved or liked any collection from him since FW08, but his accesories seem to sell well.

That being said I would not like him to leave the house, he needs to focus more on RTW and bring back the spark from his early days.

 

[madame_georgiana]

I like some of his collections, especially the one with all the purple and houndstooth, and YSL accessories are huge sellers, but his clothes lack anything that makes me want to buy them. He works for Yves St.Laurent, and without clothes that women want and yearn for, then it really isn't anything like "Yves St.Laurent".

In other words I wouldn't be surprised if this was true.

 

[Squizree]

This article has been confirmed as false. It was just a silly rumour.

 

[Squizree]

It was just one of those silly conclusions people jump to. I was kinda hoping it would be true though. I've had enough of him.

Spokespersons at YSL deny any rift between Pilati and the brand. In fact, they insist that Pilati will be here in New York for the Costume Institute Gala on May 3 (though the company is not buying a table) and will also showcase the Cruise collection in the city. Valérie Hermann, the CEO of Yves Saint Laurent in America, addressed the absence of the designer at the festivities during last night’s dinner speech. “Finally, Stefano Pilati, YSL’s creative director, has asked me to convey how sorry he is not to be able to join us tonight, and sends his very best wishes from Paris, where he is busy with the coming collection, “ she said. “Somebody still has to work in this company.”

dailyfrontrow.com

 

[mikeijames]

where there's smoke, there's fire. anyone who thinks pilati's work of late represents his best for the house of yves saint laurent not only insults pilati but openly overlooks the brilliance of his earlier work. further, i saw a video snippet somewhere -- i forget where -- that showed pierre berge extolling someone else as the best designer in paris.

 

[Spike413]

^ Riccardo Tisci in the Style.com Givenchy video. At least I think that was it.

Honestly at this point I kind of hope the rumor has some truth to it.

 

[taz]

well, I wish Pilati to stay at YSL more, at least for more 5 years & that rumor would be a shocking wake up & makes a big return to the pre-2008.

changing the creative direction on short basis will weaken the house, more than a couple of boring seasons .... & we have witnessed what happened at the other houses.

I mean the man was a trend sitter since his 1st debut & the followings seasons later, & I can forgive him for his latest fall dull presentation.

I was in Paris last week, & the clothes looks gorgeous & much better in real than on the pics, & the boutique was busy with shoppers for shoes & outfits too , i bought a dress with its accesories & shoes for my wife.

 

[Mathewthew]

And I thought accessoires is more important than clothes, I mean for sales. Didn't they rely on the sales of accessoires and clothes are more for the show and attracting ppl ??!
I'm curious when I saw becoz they think the accessoires sell well and the clothes aren't, so they want to replace him, It's wired....

 

[tarsha]

Rumor: Stefano Pilati Out at YSL (For Real This Time) So Who Is In? Raf Simons or Hedi Slimane?

We’ve heard this one before: this season will be Stefano Pilati’s last collection for YSL. The latest rumor comes from Kenzo’s twitter (via Racked “Just heard BIG news about this being a certain designer at an established French house’s last season and being replaced by someone major!! CEO has just left and now the designer replaced by someone who has moved away from fashion design the last couple of yrs but stayed in fashion.”

There’s no question the tweet implicates Stefano Pilati and YSL–YSL’s CEO Valerie Hermann left her post last week. And while previous rumors that Pilati–whose tenure at YSL has been rocky to say the least–was on the outs at YSL were quashed when it was revealed that he’d recently signed a three year contract with the house, perhaps there’s some truth to this latest rumor?

As for who will replace him, our money’s on Raf Simons, or, more in line with Kenzo’s tweet (which have now been taken down, btw), Hedi Slimane.

A brief argument for each:
Raf Simons
- he delivers consistently great collections (see his last, critically acclaimed collection for Jil Sander)
- he didn’t design the last Jil Sander Navy collection (the Jil Sander design team did)
- a few months ago the Daily reported that Simons was taking meetings with PPR
- last month during Men’s Fashion Week, WWD reported that Simons “cancelled all writing appointments during Men’s Fashion Week [in Paris] and terminated his partnership with Italy’s Futurenet Group.”

Hedi Slimane
- he made Dior Homme the most coveted menswear in the world
- he worked at YSL in the late ’90s, relaunched YSL Rive Gauche Homme to critical acclaim, and has said he wants to design for women
- has “moved away from fashion design the last couple of yrs but stayed in fashion.”

Who do you think it will be?

fashionista

 

[before]

Why would Kenzo report this? Isn't it a bit unprofessional?

 

[Crying Diamonds]

The whole article sounds like a fashionista's dream.. like the Lagerfeld/Baptiste thread.
Hedi Slimane is always the fashionista fav (next to Theyskens) for a fashion takeover.
I very much doubt Raf Simons will take over at Yves Saint Laurent; I can't see him either leaving Jil Sander or designing for both houses, and I can't see his work translating into the Saint Laurent handwriting.
If it is reported that Pilati has just signed a three year contract, then this is the weakest rumour yet and entirely founded on one person's tweet?