Tuesday, March 5, 2013

The day when Hedi Slimane killed YSL


The day when Hedi Slimane killed YSL.
Il giorno in cui Hedi Slimane uccise YSL.

A disaster, a tragedy, a show where the daughters of Courtney Love dressed up in the dark with a bad combination of dresses bought at asos, topshop and trf, a complete catastrophe. Yes, I hated, really hated the second collection designed by Hedi Slimane for Yves Saint Laurent.

In the beginning I was just astonished, I couldn't believe what I was seeing. In my mind it was just impossible that on one of the most prestigious catwalks of Paris someone dared to show big checked flannel shirts mixed with leather bustier dresses, mini dresses with flower prints and white rounded collars, some bows here and there, studded boots and fishnet stockings, just like in a presentation of a low-cost brand for teenagers. Then I stopped and I started to think: all the signs of the disaster were there, just in front of me.

Everything started with the renaming of the brand, when in a delusion of grandeur, mr Slimane decided to change the name of the maison to Saint Laurent Paris, why removing the name? Now I get it: to take the distance from Yves' style. The second clue was the SS collection, a remix of a dark-chic-boho seventies style that reminded me too closely of the AW12 Lanvin's collection. Really commercial, really Slimane, not really Saint Laurent but it's the new course, I see. The final chapter of the metamorphosis was yesterday, when Slimane presented a grunge American collection that is miles, or better galaxies, away from whatever Yves Saint Laurent ever did or even thought.
I don't dare to think what Yves would have said about the collection. He probably would have been the only one showing the door to Mr Slimane saying that a collection like the one he presented can't be branded Yves Saint Laurent. None of the big fashion journalists wrote (or was allowed to write) it but a fact was clear in front of everyone's eyes: that collection is completely inexcusable.

And that is not because Slimane didn't do a collection thinking about the history or the archives of Saint Laurent, experimentation is one of the engine of fashion, but because there was nothing, absolutely nothing on that catwalk. We saw and re-saw at least 1000 times all the pieces and cliché that Slimane presented, nothing new from the point of view of the style, no news from the styling either. And I don't buy the idea that Slimane designed the collection with an eye on the business and the orders, sincerely who will buy a pair of studded doctor Martens for thousands of Euros is crazy, not fashion forward.
I don't know what the next step will be but at ppr someone will look at the results of the sales campaign and I am curios to see where Hedi Slimane will be in September.




Una sciagura, un'ecatombe, una sfilata in cui le figlie di Courtney Love si sono vestite al  buio con degli abiti acquistati tra topshop, trf e asos, un disastro completo e totale. Ecco, se non l'aveste ancora capito ho odiato la seconda collezione di Hedi Slimane per Yves Saint Laurent.

All'inizio sono rimasta basita, non potevo credere che su una delle più prestigiose passerelle parigine fossero appena sfilate camicione in flanella abbinate a bustier in pelle, abitini a fiori, maxi colletti, stivaloni borchiati e calze a rete, ovvero un mix di tutto il peggio che le catene low-cost per teenager possono offrire.
Poi mi sono fermata a pensare, dovevo capirlo da subito, da quando in un delirio di onnipotenza, l'enfant prodige della moda dark-chic aveva deciso di cambiare il nome della maison in Saint Laurent Paris che le cose non potevano che precipitare, fino all'inevitabile disastro. Prima il nome, poi con una collezione dai richiami anni 70 e con chiare allusioni all'AI 12 di Lanvin e ora con una serie di abiti che richiamano al grunge americano, quanto di più lontano ci sia dalla grazia dei tuxedo dello stilista algerino.
Non oso pensare a cosa avrebbe detto Yves se solo fosse ancora qui a commentare. Forse sarebbe stato l'unico ad aprire la porta a Hedi Slimane e ad accompagnarlo fuori, invece di incensare una collezione palesemente insalvabile. Nessuno lo dice, o meglio nessuno dei grandi giornalisti può dirlo, ma questa collezione è stata assolutamente una vergogna.

Non perché lontana anni luce dall'estetica della maison, la sperimentazione è il motore della moda, ma perché priva di ogni tipo di contenuto. Abbiamo visto e rivisto tutto quello che c'era su quella passerella milioni di volte e non mi si dica che la mano che ha guidato Slimane è stata quella del business, perché sinceramente chi spenderà migliaia di euro per comprare dei pezzi démodé da almeno 10 anni o dei doctor Martens borchiati andrebbe accompagnato in un rehab fashion. Non solo quale sarà il prossimo passo, ma la campagna vendite darà il suo responso e vedremo dove sarà Slimane il prossimo Settembre.










  If you like my blog, follow me on Facebook, Bloglovin, Twitter. I love my followers!

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Yep, you're right...

Alexandra
http://theshoependant.com

Sharon said...

Very well written! I couldn't agree more.
This aesthetic would be perfect for Topshop or any high street store because don't get me wrong, I love a bit of plaid and flannel. However for such a luxury brand that's Yves Saint Laurent (wait... Saint Laurent Paris), it's just 'inexcusable'.

www.primpedandprimed.blogspot.com.au

Owens said...

Seeing as you wrote this in 2013 I'd love to hear your take on how celebrated and influential this collection has become (as well as Heidi's other collections at slp). Do you still hold the same opinion?

Post a Comment

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...