Saint Laurent S/S 2013 Paris

[Morphe]

 

[Morphe]

 

[Morphe]

 

[Lena]

practically the same dress again and again and again zzz

 

[Deleted member 7575]

Nothing to say that hasn't already been said. Talk about a dud.

 

[VogueDisciple93]

I cannot wait to see what Horyn and Suzy come up with.

Cathy wasn't invited.

 

[MulletProof]

ouch.

Indeed.

Glad someone immortalized the Rachel Zoe comparison though.

I love that the last set of pictures also have one duplicate look for a more graphic effect of the repetitiveness ... a trick Ghesquiere must've passed on when a designer's block hit and you just can't come up with 12 more looks to save your life.

 

[balmain1914]

Rachel Zoe's take on YSL? Lol.
The only thing that interests me is that Le Smoking, others are simply nothing wow at all.
Again, Hedi is overrated, from Dior to YSL.

 

[mistress_f]

^ i can't wait to see hedi's die-hard groupies come up with some sort of bigger scheme / conceptual thing about those final looks. Like that he was making a statement of some sorts. I can see that happening.

Why wasn't Cathy invited?

 

[Dann]

Says a lot. Also, the panel at ShowStudio were disappointed. I cannot wait to see what Horyn and Suzy come up with.

Cathy was not invited to the show, that is why the blog post was written by Eric. I am curious to see how he will write it for the paper, though.

In a sense, I agree with this AP writer, but at the same time, it is such a rough review. Such a gut-feeling review. And who is he? From his Twitter profile, he looks all of 12 years old.

WWD's review is more nuanced and presents the collection in a more intelligent way.

 

[balmain1914]

Franca Sozzani & Thomas Adamson know well how to wipe their advertising clients' butt.

 

[Chanelcouture09]

Is it just me or does this look like Gucci F/W 12/13 & F/W 11/12 ?

I keep looking at the collection over and over and all I keep thinking is 'Frida did that cut... and that cut... and that silhouette' I'm unsure on how similar Hedi's references were to Frida's or the concepts between each show... but Frida definitely did it better.

 

[Label Basher]

Cathy wasn't invited.

I'm sure she will still have something to say she better.

 

[balmain1914]

to Chanelcouture09, don't you know Gucci is YSL's mother company? lol...nothing special to take some inspiration from his mom.

 

[mistress_f]

Is it just me or does this look like Gucci F/W 12/13 & F/W 11/12 ?

I keep looking at the collection over and over and all I keep thinking is 'Frida did that cut... and that cut... and that silhouette' I'm unsure on how similar Hedi's references were to Frida's or the concepts between each show... but Frida definitely did it better.

no it's not just you. i see a bit of fall 2011 and fall 2008 even. but then again frida's designs never looked that original to begin with, so it's probably just a common refrence between them.

 

[Chanelcouture09]

to Chanelcouture09, don't you know Gucci is YSL's mother company? lol...nothing special to take some inspiration from his mom.

I don't think there is any relevance in your comment, just because the brands are owned by PPR doesn't mean the brands are interlinked, different CEO's, different Creative Directors... I think if PPR wished for all of their brands to have the same DNA they wouldn't take so much care in carefully crafting their teams, this isn't Zara after all, not that some people would know the difference

Imitation is the finest form of flattery and all.

 

[mdankwah]

Well here's a review by Lisa Armstrong from The Telegraph

The days leading up to Hedi Slimane's first show for Yves Saint Laurent could scarcely have been better calculated to foster maximum antagonism between the designer and the media. Who dreamed up this strategy? Andy Murray? Asma Al-Assad? Zoolander? Seriously, all this attitude for someone's first foray into womenswear?

For starters, there was the seating. Or the standing, with some journalists admitted only right at the back. ("Don't worry", soothed the PRs, "you'll be standing with your peers") . Then there were the instructions about the change of name.

Next, somewhat deliciously, came an email with ten "approved" portrait shots of the designer, most of them in chiarascuro and James Dean-esque in aspiration. Finally, the memo informing us that - unlike every other designer in the world - Slimane would not be taking questions backstage (although the especially-blessed might be permitted to say hello at the end of the YSL show). YSL? Forgive me, by the way if that should be Saint Laurent Paris, Saint Laurent by Hedi Slimane or plain old Saint Laurent. Even the most ardent fashion claqeurs are finding it hard to get on top of the new nomenclature, owing to the fact that even the most ardent fashion claquers have a life.

All of which makes this a tricky review to write. No critic wishes to sound petty or vengeful. So let's start with the positives, of which there were a number. This was not, as someone - probably up to here with all that hype - tweeted mid-show, Primark. There were some truly beautiful pieces in this collection. Quite a lot of them, probably, if you were ever allowed up close and the models hadn't been swooshing past at high velocity in the semi-darkness. What I managed to identify; lovely chiffon voile blouses, some with silver embroidered and beaded sleeves; ruffled chiffon capelets, filmy chiffon fit-and-flare 70's dresses and numerous feathered chubbies and gold sequined cardigan-jackets. Skinny, pleat-front trousers with slouchy side pockets? Of course, sometimes with curvy waistcoats or leather biker jackets. Suede safari dresses? Those too, which like the trousers were narrower than a cocaine straw. If I haven't mentioned colours that's because, apart from a 12-look finale of yet more filmy 70's dresses in gorgeous jewel shades, it was all black and white.

No one can say Slimane wasn't referencing the founding father, even though apparently it's year zero as far as his immediate predecessor, Stefano Pilati, is concerned. It's also size zero, but we anticipated that, right? And at least the chiffon maxi dresses will be semi-forgiving. One, in metallic bronze, with a wide belt and ruffled placket was particularly knock-out.
But if it's au revoir to the Tribute shoe, which apparently accounted for 60 per cent of YSL's accessories sales pre-Hedi, where is his new cash cow? A black platform Mary Jane, which was probably the least exciting of Slimane's proposals? Much better were the tasselled gold necklaces, the small, flat envelope shoulder bag, and what looked like a gold iPhone case dangling from a neck-chain.

The problem was, that like quite a bit of this collection, the accessories were slightly underwhelming. That said, paradoxically for a designer who has positioned himself (geographically as well as metaphorically) as an outsider, an artiste, and a free spirit - it was also extremely commercial.
Subtract those rather fabulous exaggerated Lee Van Cleef, Spaghetti Western meets Haight Ashbury floppy hats, and you've got yourself a textbook tribute to Saint Laurent, updated for women with a Pete Doherty figure. Betty Catroux, one of Yves Saint Laurent's original muses and a woman so well-preserved that she could have fitted right in on the catwalk, professed herself thrilled and excited. A certain kind of customer will find plenty to lust after. So in the short term, Francois-Henri Pinault's audacious gamble will, I suspect, pay off.

But for me - a journalist who has never seen one of Slimane's menswear shows - what was most suprising was that it was so unsurprising. It was exactly as expected: lots of masculine/feminine trouser suits, some beautiful wafty dresses and poet's blouses (most of which we've seen before on Kate Moss and Stevie Nicks, although perhaps not always in quite such luxe fabrications) and a cool soundtrack, edited for the show by Daft Punk. Crucially, what was lacking was the frisson of the unexpected - that challenging jolt that only a really strong show delivers.

That lack felt greater still following the grandiosity of YSL's build-up - surely, we thought, this will be one of those moments where fashion is flipped on its head.
Many in the audience, which included Moss, Marc Jacobs, Alber Elbaz, Vivienne Westwood, Diane von Furstenburg and Pixie Geldof, were initially so pleased to be there that they applauded the lights and speakers as they descended from the ceiling at the start of the show.
By the end, most seemed bemused. Backstage, as promised, Slimane (who by the way is very good looking and doesn't need to preside over a police state of airbrushing) accepted no questions - so there are many that remain unanswered. But the man has taste. I would love to be able to watch his evolution at this house. Judging by his apparent fear of any kind of objective criticism, however, I fear I won't be allowed back.

 

[thiago:)]

I'm glad I hadn't created huge expectations on Hedi The collection is quite weak and dated. I've seen comparisons with Roberto Cavalli, not sure if they sounded good or bad (I must admit I didn't read everything), but he's done it much better, and in a modern way, which I think is missing in here... Anyway, some pieces might work better separately.

 

[Chanelcouture09]

Lisa's review is pretty spot on, I agree on many points she raises, I think the bubble built around Hedi is awfully pathetic, the designers point of view should be able to be accounted for, I guess not under these circumstances.

And she answered my question from a long time ago, he is obviously getting rid of the Tribute heels, which from their launch were a highly covetable piece, quite a few women I know own them (including my mother who has several pairs in different materials/colors).

I think the hype was built up around a flagging persona of the companies past with them introducing the original logo, during the end of Yves career he wasn't as influential as people are led to believe, a lot of critics considered him to be tired and awfully outdated and although this is Hedi's only official outing at Saint Laurent, it's terribly outdated and he is only at the beginning of his womenswear career.

 

[bleach]

^ i can't wait to see hedi's die-hard groupies come up with some sort of bigger scheme / conceptual thing about those final looks. Like that he was making a statement of some sorts. I can see that happening.

that's how he always ends his shows

hedislimane.com

gq.com