Saint Laurent F/W 13.14 Paris

[GERGIN]

I think buyers are probably mortified to put this into retailers, but feel like they have no choice due to the circumstances of popularity, and of course a relative legacy behind YSL...in my opinion the buyers are probably doing the best to cleanse it on the clothing racks, luckily they have nothing to fear with footwear and bags. But still, what is so innovative about this collection? I would think in today's generation consumers are more smart about their investments, if they wanted commercial pieces they wouldn't pay the price for this, because nothing about it screams exclusive.

 

[KaraDanielle11]

OK I don't think it's AS BAD as fashion spotters are making it out to be. The styling needs help but lets all calm down! Anyway, he appointed Sky Ferreria to be the face so what else would you expect?

 

[clocked]

i'm glad this is so sublimely horrible and having a lot of schadenfreude right now... It's too bad that YSL had to sink this low but if it's the reason Hedi leaves, so be it. Get him out

 

[Moofins]

House of Dereon produces better sh*t than this.

 

[LagerfeldBoy]

I'll admit, I would wear so many pieces here (the star cardigan, the motorcycle jacket, a black dress on Maria Bradley) and I don't mind the whole grunge-California inspiration, but c'mon this is such a mess, especially considering this is for...wait for it...Saint Laurent! I love Hedi and he's one of my favorite designers, but even I can recognize this is utter **** for such an iconic label. There's no mystery, no glam, nothing desirable. It's so funny cause just the other day was I thinking of going thrifting to try to nab some oversized cardigans, sweaters, and pieces to create a grunge kind of look and wahla, Hedi Slimane did this. You can easily achieve this look by shopping at Topshop or Romwe and digging up some pieces at your local thrift store. Sigh, I'm so disappointed.

 

[Marc10]

If I remember well the S/S collection was going to hit stores late February, so obviously we don't know yet if his previous collection was a huge commercial success.

It will be. That collection was a retailer's dream plus it is one of the must used by editors in every magazine. Like I said, Hedi's stuff is bound to be commercially successful. It will be seen as the "cool girl uniform" like Balmain, Isabel Marant and Givenchy were labeled in recent years. Sad, but true.

 

[mistress_f]

we're all gonna have to agree that if he was going for the 15 years old fashion blogger look he was absolutely on point. down to this peculiar faux diy 'embellishment' on the boots. not even in my punk-est years i would've made such a mess:

style.com

edit: apparently it's a leit motiv of the collection

 

[VerdeShimmer]

Not this excuse again

I am trying to figure out who this customer is? Surely the parents hold the purse-strings. They would not want their daughter to look like a child streetwalker.

This collection is not up to par as to how a luxury brand should be presented.

 

[prettypouf]

Ugh, so cheap- this is not on par with what I was hoping for.

 

[maimon]

By Booth Moore
Los Angeles Times Fashion Critic
March 4, 2013, 4:02 p.m.

PARIS -- California ladies of the canyon was the vibe of Hedi Slimane's first women's Saint Laurent ready-to-wear runway collection shown in October. And this time, it was California grunge.

With Jessica Chastain, Kirsten Dunst, Garrett Hedlund, Pierre Berge, Betty Catroux and other fashion luminaries in the front row, Slimane showed his fall 2013 collection for the house he renamed Saint Laurent on Monday night during Paris Fashion Week.

The look: Off-duty musicians and models. L.A.'s grungy, night-crawling rock 'n' roll set, with nods to Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love. Slimane, you'll remember, has based himself in Los Angeles, and has his design team travel back and forth from Paris. On the runway, it was all about super short leather skirts and mini-dresses, worn with crystal-studded tights or body stockings, and black combat boots. Following the grunge theme were plaid flannel shirts (we were making bets on how much they will cost -- $1,500, $2,500?) and grandpa cardigans worn over baby doll dresses. For evening, miniskirts and cropped jackets sparkled with sequin embroideries.

The scene: The cliquish fashion crowd, a darkened room and blaring music, "Tidal Wave 13" recorded live in Australia and Asia by Thee Oh Sees, according to the press notes.

The verdict: A head-scratcher. It seems like Slimane is trying to distance the brand from the fusty couture tradition and connect it more to the spirit of Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche, the ready-to-wear label launched in 1966 that became synonymous with youth culture. (It's notable that Slimane also recently relocated the Saint Laurent atelier in Paris from the tony Right Bank to the hipper Left Bank.) But 1966 was a different time. Today, fast-fashion brands like H&M, which showed here earlier last week, Topshop and Zara have made big businesses out of bringing the street to the store instantly, with new deliveries arriving on a weekly basis. These retro 1990s Saint Laurent clothes didn't look much different from what's already available from those brands for a fraction of the price. When Saint Laurent himself did rich hippie, it looked rich; this didn't look like rich grunge.

latimes.com

 

[disco54]

The Tribute sandal drove as much 40% of their accessories sales and they discontinued I believe, that abomination above is their answer hahahaha omg.

 

[dior_couture1245]

Absolutely abhorrent. Who does he think he is?

Listen, I have no issue with a designer coming into an old, storied house and really shaking things up by bringing the atelier and the street together. It's exactly what John Galliano did at Dior from about 1999-2003. Those clothes evoked the sluttiest and trashiest of women - from the trailer park to the Grammy's. HOWEVER - despite reflecting the look and feel of something extremely low brow, you could see how masterfully those clothes were created - they were feats of pattern making, innovative draping, and the utmost skill (to think he created entire suits on the bias, even including the interior pockets!). Even beyond the actual construction - there was an inherent imagination to everything and the mixing of a dozen different cultures and time periods all in one collection. Many found it to be terribly disrespectful to the house and it's founder, but I always found it to be such an exciting way to take an old house, with old values and make it mean something new for the here and now.

That's the problem with Slimane's Saint Laurent. There is no innovation or imagination injected into his rock and roll chick/dude. This is all a seam for seam, hem for hem replication of clothes that already exist. What's the point? Do grunge all you want! Look at Dries van Noten Spring/Summer 2013. Kurt and Courtney were the same inspiration there as it is here, but the result is so different. No explanation is necessary. We can all see the differences and understand why.

Appealing to a younger clientele is all fine and good - but why offer them clothes they already have? And even if they didn't have it, they could go get it from any thrift or high-street store for a fraction of what it's sold for under this label? And really, though, by appealing to a younger clientele, you shouldn't be targeting teenagers and young twenty-somethings - none of them have any money anyway.

 

[kanita]

Mock-ad made in the blogosphere.

http://supermanandsupermodels.tumblr.com/

 

[LabelWhore4]

What in the Laura Ashley circa 1986?!?

style via Nymphaea

Betty Catroux must have been mortified to see her close friends house come to this. Somewhere on the other side of Paris Karl Lagerfeld must be laughing his ponytail off.

 

[kanita]

W Magazine Beauty Director, Jane Larkworthy on her twitter

twitter.com/WmagJane

 

[JuiceMajor]

Attracting younger customer...that explain it all. I knew it can't be a Slimane thing. He is basically the right puppet for delivering the big CEO or PPR business plan for the new Saint Laurent!

 

[paz2992]

it's extremely EXTREMELY wearable, meaning it's not something you expect in a brand like Saint Laurent or YSL used to be. For something like Primark, Urban Outfitters, or whatever, you see some stuff in stores and you probably would buy it, but when you know is coming from what it used to be classy YSL... this is pure rubbish. still... i can't help but be happy for Hanne Gaby opening the show, but come on! almost any other working people in this industry could do a better job.

 

[Phuel]

This is dreadful. There's no defending this. And his spiraling even deeper into his obsession with youth culture is verging on creepy to me.

 

[Marc10]

 

[ForChicSake]

W Magazine Beauty Director, Jane Larkworthy on her twitter

twitter.com/WmagJane

so true, you never truly know what you got until it's gone and screw the reviews they don't have the guts to say it like it is. this season has been a hot mess for some of the biggest labels in the industry my word but this almost killed me. i tear up every time i see this collection, poor yves to have built up such an empire to see this guy do this to it.