Saint Laurent F/W 13.14 Paris

[Psylocke]

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.

I share some of your sentiments. I completely agree with everyone who finds this to be a disgrace to the YSL brand. It simply has absolutely nothing to with what this fashion house is about and such a drastic change is very hard to digest. However, I have to say, in spite of the overwhelmingly literal grunge styling which in this form just seems not suited for any high fashion show, I find myself loving many individual pieces here. The details in many of the close-ups are beautiful. I'll admit that this looks exactly like everything the awesome blogger at F*** Yeah Ugly 90's clothes likes to bash for being commercialized try-hard grunge, the overstyled Hollywood grunge kind of look. But I used to be obsessed with the wardrobe in movies like The Craft and shows like My So-Called Life and this is the exact same thing and I surprisingly find that I still like it and would wear quite a few pices from this collection (if they were affordable). I especially love the leather jackets and tailored pieces. And some of the oversized sweaters are really nice, too. And I think this dress is really beautiful.
I'm not claiming that there aren't many looks here that are overly trashy and completely vile, but I don't find this the worst collection we've seen this Paris Fashion Week, even if I am in no way trying to make excuses for him. Presenting this under this name is wrong and he indeed should have just started his own label because he is not doing himself any favor by ruining such an iconic brand and p*ssing so many people off with his attitude and stubbornness.

 

[liberty33r1b]

Vogue review
by Hamish Bowles

Courtney Love seemed an unlikely muse for the storied house of Saint Laurent, but as Thee Oh Sees’s “Tidal Wave” blasted over the sound system with the decibel level of an army of power drillers, Hedi Slimane unleashed his grunge-inspired vision down the runway, his shaggy-haired girls stomping as fast as their hobnailed boots could take them.

Plaid flannel shirts or chunky cardigans with a hand-knit flavor were layered over glamorous evening dresses in the lamé-figured chiffons and glittering tulle that Yves himself loved to use in the seventies and eighties. Front-row maven Catherine Deneuve, faintly open-mouthed, might have recognized them—although they were chopped short and worn with fishnet tights and that decidedly un-dainty footwear, or thigh-high second-skin stretch-leather boots.

Her benchmate Betty Catroux, meanwhile (stylish in Slimane’s Saint Laurent menswear), would recall those sleek pinstripe jackets or tuxedo spencers with the lean, mannish cut that Saint Laurent championed in the early seventies, that here were given a whole new context worn over vampy black leather miniskirts.

It was certainly a bravura exercise in styling (although not as potent as the same theme seemed when Slimane explored it for his fall menswear, shown in January)—but one longed for a few more design twists on the Yves borrowings. That iconic green fox-fur chubby, for instance, revisited in soft pink (and shown, intriguingly, over a Liberty-print blouse and spangled underpants), looked oddly cool; so too, a Claudine collar from one of those Belle de Jour dresses attached to a baby doll tartan frock; Yves’s famous sequined trompe l’oeil knit as a sloppily oversize boyfriend sweater; and the black leather shift dress spangled with jewel clusters—its sixties ancestor, in cocoa suede, is included in the Palais Galliera’s superb Paris Haute Couture exhibition currently on view at the Mairie de Paris.

But a lot of the collection seemed, as the French say, premier degré, meaning, perhaps, a tad too literal, like a leopard-spot coat with more than the whiff of the thrift store to it, or a perfectly nice gray duffle that seemed, well, like a perfectly nice grey duffle—even invested with Cara Delevingne’s tough-chic attitude.

Grunge chez Saint Laurent certainly has shock factor—and Yves Saint Laurent was, of course, the designer who managed to épater les bourgeois with his Mod biker chicks at Christian Dior in 1960 and his see-through blouses in 1968, among countless other epochal design innovations, but his work was always shot through with innate class, and this collection—doubtless luxurious in the hand and elegantly merchandised in the showroom—looked at times a little too contemporary market on the runway.

 

[pinksofa]

btw - did he come out after the show?

 

[Vincent]

^ I read that he did, but he appeared only for a second

 

[kanita]

For every man there is a woman. At least that seems to be the case at Saint Laurent. Where designer Hedi Slimane’s sophomore collection for the venerable house was all about supplying sartorial options for the women who love the same “California Grunge” look as their male counterparts who showed their preference for the style in January.

And what a fine pair they will make in their matching plaid shirts, sagging sweaters, metal accented leather pieces, and torn denim garments. The ladies, or rather the girls, get the added bonus of choosing from a myriad of short dress options that fall into three distinct categories: Biker babe, baby doll, and errant school girl. Pair these pieces with shimmering fishnet stockings, black boots, “rolled out of bed” hair and smudgy make up and voilà- your apathetic attire will be complete.

Anyone choosing to wear these designs wouldn’t look out of place at a Thee Oh Sees concert (their thumping song “Tidal Wave 13” was the theme song for the show). And therein lies the fundamental question that has been dogging this house since Slimane took over. If the goal is to skew Saint Laurent to appeal to a younger customer then why give them more of, or rather a designer version of, outfits that they can readily acquire from their local thrift store?

Slimane has such an artistic perspective that surly he can offer something new and different for a generation still looking to define itself.

The saving grace of this show, for buyers at least, was the outerwear. That was where this collection got the most traction. And it will be those cropped versions of leather biker jackets, shrunken sleeved shimmering evening jackets, modified tailcoats, duffle coats, black trench coats and frayed crystal covered boleros that will be spotted as having the longest shelf life potential.

That being said they would hardly be recognized as coming from Saint Laurent. And that is were Slimane needs to set his sights for the future. Creating a way forward for the brand that makes the iconic of the house new again, not just seen through the luxury prism of a particular style of dress.

- Jessica Michault

nowfashion.com

 

[Laces]

The most hideous, disgusting excuse for a show I have ever witnessed.

I wish they'd hire someone with more gratitude and respect. This is

 

[barbiestolemyDVN]

Oh lawd. I'm sort of convinced he's doing this just in spite.

"I'm doing this because I can."

Everything just looks so trashy, which isn't really the point though, because there have been some trashy collections by certain designers in the past. But, as someone said previously, they were trashy but great because they were innovative--this just looks lazy.

 

[mistress_f]

I can see a youtube take of this show with "Thrift shop" on the sound track.

It's funny to see that the reviewers are talking about how only the young will get this....thus ruling everyone out as old if they don't like this. Well, then, they should probably know that the average tFS user is pretty young....and they still don't like it. Because it's just absolutely sub par. It doesn't even have a teen spirit.

No elegance. No shape. No attitude. No spirit.

Just boring and lazy. What an absolute irony that this is supposed to channel the most gifted and passionate designer of all times. To get away with that for millions upon millions of dollars, why, that must be the wet dream of poseurs and con artists everywhere.

yes i agree with all of this. i mean i'm by no means old, i'm not even 27 yet. but what i see here is old and tired. i literally have, still laying in my closet, dresses that look exactly like this or this or this one (and so on with many other looks). The babydoll / little black casual dress + boots look has been something i identified with ever since i was about 14, so it's not like i'm saying EW THIS IS UGLY. But those dresses i own come from vintage shops and high street stores, and that's what this collection looks like, as many times underlined in this thread. I have lots of designer pieces, even from pilati's ysl, that do not age me at all and look appropriate for a 20-something, but i sure as hell wouldn't splurge 2900+ euros on something i already have. And if anything, when i was a teenager, i would've vomited at the thought of someone selling ~alternative babydoll dresses for an high fashion brand. But i guess times have changed. There's simply nothing desirable or modern here, not to mention that fact that nothing screams Saint Laurent (and that's the last of my concerns here).

And I'm sort of laughing at the reviews saying he's re-working the grunge look. There's nothing reworked here, it's all literal with maybe an addition of expensive embellishments here and there. If this is the sort of genius reworking that an high fashion designer is supposed to do, i guess any teen fashion blogger for the past 6/7 years deserves this job as much as hedi.

 

[Izreal]

watching the meltdown here is quite entertaining i must confess... all this talk of yves rolling in his grave is utter nonsense and only proves the preconceived notions people have of the brand's legacy... as explained over and over by myself and a few others that understand what's going on here, this is a complete reboot of the house, out with the old, in with the new so to speak. the interesting thing is that the name change and rebellious spirit is actually in touch with the labels initial mantra, to appeal to the next generation and not the past: focusing on a youthful clientele not rich housewives and their predictable clichés. obviously the plot was lost at some point but i believe this is what hedi is trying to do. i'm not in favor of every look here by the way (far from it actually) but being close to the contemporary art/music scene, i know that thought provoking and shock factor even through vile imagery can be a potent formula. those elements are balanced here with incredible tailored outerwear and ornate details that set it apart from what the bird's view will dismiss as "thrift / high street" merchandise... the grunge element, totally makes sense.. the 90's are finally cool again, and courtney love no matter what people think is a icon... she's also good friends (dare i say muse) with hedi so it's a total valid reference point.... in the end though, love it or hate it this collection is bringing strong reactions, something rather absent in high fashion lately and unseen at YSL since a few decades ago...

 

[Creative]

So much dignity is seriously cracking me up. It’s just funny to see people 'scandalized' and offended because Hedi presented what many people in here have referred to as a wardrobe for “hookers”, and see them talking about how disrespectful that must be to the name of YSL. When you take on a brand the last thing you should ever care is about respecting the legacy. Anyway, I wouldn’t say he is incoherent with certain years of the founder’s career.

After all, it was Yves himself who did a collection inspired by Second World War prostitutes that slept with Nazis, and it was him too who named a sandal after a famous prostitute. No one has ever been more “edgy” than Saint Laurent himself.

Talking about the collection… Yes, it’s bad, but not worse than the rest of the collections shown during Paris fashion week though (Céline aside). So I can’t see what the fuss is all about. And at least it’s coherent and I got a message. Dior...

 

[mistress_f]

i know that thought provoking and shock factor even through vile imagery can be a potent formula.

lol, what's thought provoking about this? please.

the 90's are finally cool again, and courtney love no matter what people think is a icon... she's also good friends (dare i say muse) with hedi so it's a total valid reference point.... .

the 90s have been cool for years, sorry to say. he's sort of beating a dead horse, not making something cool.

 

[Izreal]

the fact the show was last night and is already by this morning the longest thread of all fashion week says something imo.. whether you love it hate it, it's making people talk about it.. as for the 90's reference i'm merely pointing out the obvious whether you find it cool or a dead horse is another matter..

 

[Thefrenchy]

When you take on a brand the last thing you should ever care is about respecting the legacy.

I don't want to sound disrespectful but in my seven years at The Fashion Spot, that is one of the most ridiculous things I've ever read. If there is one thing you should respect when you take over an historic house like YSL, it is indeed its legacy. It is not like the brand didn't have any identity, so why not respect it?

Respecting a legacy doesn't mean being stuck in the past. You can respect a designer's legacy and bring it into modernity. Look at what Ghesquiere did with Balenciaga, it speaks for itself.



When you look at all this, it simply makes me laugh that Berge hired Slimane in hopes of seeing the house of Saint Laurent going back to being a creative house The irony...

 

[Creative]

I don't want to sound disrespectful but in my seven years at The Fashion Spot, that is one of the most ridiculous things I've ever read. If there is one thing you should respect when you take over an historic house like YSL, it is indeed its legacy. It is not like the brand didn't have any identity, so why not respect it?

Respecting a legacy doesn't mean being stuck in the past. You can respect a designer's legacy and bring it into modernity. Look at what Ghesquiere did with Balenciaga, it speaks for itself.

When you look at all this, it simply makes me laugh that Berge hired Slimane in hopes of seeing the house of Saint Laurent going back to being a creative house The irony...

I don't want to sound disrespectful either, but that must be the most ridiculous thing I've ever read in my life. We must have different ideas of what respect is... Mine is quite alike to what the dictionary says it is, though.

Chanel, Balenciaga, Dior... would have all hated the "respect" (as you understand it) the designers working for those houses have shown with their legacy. In fact, Yves hated the "respect" Stefano had for his work. Respect is for mediocre people and quite absurd when you talk about fashion.

By the way, Bergé didn't hire anyone.

 

[Thefrenchy]

^ Technically not, but you don't seem to be aware of Berge's part in all this then

 

[rosalynn]

in the end though, love it or hate it this collection is bringing strong reactions, something rather absent in high fashion lately and unseen at YSL since a few decades ago...

Haha, the 'strong reaction' isn't because it's visionary, clever or pushing the boundaries. Unlike other collections that cause 'strong reactions' it will just drift off into obscurity, it won't be remembered for heralding a new era at Saint Laurent, that's for sure.

If Hedi is just going for the cheap shot of creating ugly, cheap-looking collections just for the sake of stirring up conversation, then it's crass and YSL is better than that.

If a 'strong reaction' is all that matters, let's just bring Jeremy Scott in and be done with it. In fact, just have models going up and down the runway in bin bags. So long as it gets a 'strong reaction'...

 

[lepetitcouturier]

Dear Hedi,

This collection does not smell like Teen Spirit. It smells like sweaty armpits.

Sincerely,

F*ck off.

 

[abc123]

First of all Izreal please explain how come you understand what's going on here so much better than all of us? I'd love some enlightening.

Secondly , I'm now scared of wearing my Zara, Topshop and secondhand finds in case someone mistakes it for Saint Laurent.

 

[ForChicSake]

Haha, the 'strong reaction' isn't because it's visionary, clever or pushing the boundaries. Unlike other collections that cause 'strong reactions' it will just drift off into obscurity, it won't be remembered for heralding a new era at Saint Laurent, that's for sure.

If Hedi is just going for the cheap shot of creating ugly, cheap-looking collections just for the sake of stirring up conversation, then it's crass and YSL is better than that.

If a 'strong reaction' is all that matters, let's just bring Jeremy Scott in and be done with it. In fact, just have models going up and down the runway in bin bags. So long as it gets a 'strong reaction'...

my thoughts exactly to the "strong reaction" to get such a reaction he had to turn YSL into a joke? he could of gotten that reaction with a good collection that fell in line with the brand. for this collection alone he should be fired, i personally want him gone from YSL! it's not his name at the door, such an embarrassment for all involved at the label just because "he can".

 

[Izreal]

Creative is on point... people here are under Pilati's spell and fail to realize his vision of YSL is only his and not that of Yves/Pierre's... Hedi, although far from being exempt of criticism does have more in common with the originators early years then many his predecesors.. if anything the fact that betty carroux was sitting front row in head to toe SLP should be an indicator that he is getting some things right..

If a 'strong reaction' is all that matters, let's just bring Jeremy Scott in and be done with it. In fact, just have models going up and down the runway in bin bags. So long as it gets a 'strong reaction'...

i don't see any connection with jeremy scott but margiela did bin bags on the runway not so long ago.. he also championed the whole "derelicte" fashion of recuperating and re-inventing goodwill items... galliano also springs to mind.. both have been praised as visionaries.. also as just mentioned by creative above yves himself was pretty outrageous in his heyday.. sometimes fashion needs a little bit of a kick in the rear, wtf attitude...