Hedi Slimane Is Relaunching Yves Saint Laurent Couture — Will Personally Decide Who Can Wear It
A look from Yves Saint Laurent Couture. Photography by Hedi Slimane
The Haute Couture shows recently wrapped in Paris, and even though they are considered the most exquisite in all of fashion land, it seems that not everyone wants to play the strict rules of the Fédération Française de la Couture. First, Riccardo Tisci evaded the association by interspersing 11 exquisite custom looks (including a nearly naked Naomi Campbell) throughout his men’s show in July. And, as of this morning, Saint Laurent’s elusive designer, Hedi Slimane, is relaunching Yves Saint Laurent Couture after 10 years, but in his own typically rebellious manner.
Slimane has plans to eschew tradition and design a custom label called “Yves Saint Laurent Couture” in his sparkly new headquarters (aptly named the “Couture House of Yves Saint Laurent”) the at 24 Rue de l’Université. Each piece will be decided upon on a case by case basis and will include a numbered silk ivory label which will be recorded in the “Monogram House Couture book held by the premier d’atelier flou.” The line will not only be designed by Slimane, but he will also personally decide who among the global glitterati is worthy enough to wear his custom creations.
A model in Yves Saint Laurent Couture at the Couture House of Yves Saint Laurent. Photography by Hedi Slimane
An executive at the fashion house told Vanessa Friedman of The New York Times that the line “will be “used only for ‘friends of the house,’ and can be both for men or women, daywear or evening wear. Hedi Slimane decides these orders case by case. Unlike a couture collection, this is an even more exclusive definition.”
More exclusive than couture? That’s a like some super duper V.V.V.I.P. room that can only fit one person. We suppose that the iron clad control that Slimane maintains over the label could be deem warranted. The house’s PR shares that sales are up nearly 25% based on comparable figures. His propensity to protect this new baby is surely to keep the brand’s moody rock and roll identity intact and deflect any potentially unsavory types from getting their well groomed claws all over this exclusive offering. (Read: Sky Ferreira is in and Kim Kardashian is out.) Of course this means that us regular humans have a better chance of getting good ol’ Sparky in a Coach ad before ever getting our hands on this haute finery.
Related: Victoire Doutreleau, 80, on Modeling and Her Relationship With Yves Saint Laurent
