Hedi Slimane Bids Adieu To Saint Laurent
Slimane's departure caps four years of exceptional growth at the French House
Photo: Courtesy of Saint Laurent Paris
Saint Laurent Paris
The rumours are true after all: Hedi Slimane has vacated his seat as Creative and Image Director at Saint Laurent. Speculation of him exiting the French brand first surfaced in January this year. “What Yves Saint Laurent has achieved over the past four years represents a unique chapter in the history of the House,” said François-Henri Pinault, Chairman and CEO of Kering, the parent company of Saint Laurent. He added: “I am very grateful to Hedi Slimane, and the whole Yves Saint Laurent team, for having set the path that the House has successfully embraced, and which will grant longevity to this legendary brand.”
Slimane made bold rebranding moves during his tenure at the Parisian label, first dropping ‘Yves’ from the brand’s name and then replacing its famous Cassandre logo with a sleek, typeface-based logo. His impeccably tailored designs for Saint Laurent—all infused with rock, grunge and punk references—were paraded on whippet-thin musicians and models for an extra dash of cool. The aesthetic struck a chord among consumers and proved particularly profitable: Saint Laurent “reported revenues of €974 million” for 2015. The fall/winter 2016 show is Slimane's last collection for the House.
Photo: Courtesy of Saint Laurent Paris
Saint Laurent Paris
Slimane’s predecessor has yet to be named, though Anthony Vaccarello of Versus fame has been widely tipped to take over Slimane’s role.
By Gerald Tan