FASHION Magazine

See the final street style looks from Paris » 

With the Fall 2014 shows wrapping up yesterday in Paris, the international circuit has come to a close. On an especially sunny last day of fashion week, editors and patrons showed that a little bling can go a long way. Miroslava Duma chose an oversized oval belt buckle, large even by Texan standards, to jazz up a burgundy asymmetrical trench. Franca Sozzani’s camel coloured ostrich jacket given some refined glitz thanks to a horse-bit inspired belt. Caroline Issa chose not to compete with the bright hue of her orange suede jacket, letting the high-shine metallic zipper be the only accent. Giovanna Battaglia opted for a demure pistachio green cape and grey turtleneck, giving her sparkly studded heels top a place in the lime light—a hint of punk done in an age appropriate manner. Just wait until you see one show goer’s embroidered and fringed bomber jacket—plenty of understated sparkle is made daytime appropriate thanks to a periwinkle blue dress and demure heels. Proving that metallic and shiny accents aren’t just for the ladies, James Goldstein chose to elevate a head to toe leather ensemble with some gold swan embellishment. You’re never too old to rock out in leather on leather.

See the Saint Laurent Sunglasses collection »

With the rise in popularly of its newly released duffle (it’s been spotted on the arms of Beyoncé, Gwyneth Paltrow and Kate Moss to name a few), Saint Laurent Paris will add to its range of covetable accessories with its first sunglasses collection under the new branding.

Under the direction of Hedi Slimane, who has helmed the label since March 2012, Saint Laurent has since been striving for a more understated elegance and discreet branding in comparison to former creative Stefano Pilati, whose elaborate designs were credited with bringing the house’s accessories to the forefront of the It bag cult.

The sunglasses collection features a range of styles in Slimane’s signature black, with rosegold, gold and black acetate frame tints. They will no doubt fit into the new creative director’s streamlined aesthetic along with the bags. Simple, sleek and the perfect offset to Slimane’s grunge heavy Fall 2013 collection, the sunglasses will must haves come next season.

Though yesterday’s news about Yves Saint Laurent’s name change was met with a torrent of outrage, one person is actually happy with the new direction of the legendary fashion house. Pierre Bergé, the late designer’s long-term business and life partner, is giving his blessing to newly appointed creative director Hedi Slimane’s brand revamp.

Bergé told WWD that Slimane called him several weeks before the announcement yesterday to give him a heads up about the name change from “Yves Saint Laurent” to “Saint Laurent Paris” (though to much of the fashion world’s relief, the YSL logo will remain the same).

“I’m very happy. Anything that makes the house more Saint Laurent is welcome,” he said. “I am happy that Stefano Pilati is gone, just as I was happy when Tom Ford left.”

As we reported yesterday, Slimane’s decision to change the name of the fashion house was an effort to recapture the original spirit of Saint Laurent’s first foray into ready-to-wear in 1966.

Bergé is even standing behind Slimane’s decision to move the quintessentially French line’s creative studio from Paris to Los Angeles, another move that has had some fashion folk foaming at the mouth.

“The creative studio is in a designer’s head, it resides within the person,” said Bergé. “Hedi lives in Los Angeles. He should be left to do fashion in a city he likes.”

While we had mixed feelings about Slimane’s decision to change YSL’s trademark moniker, a stamp of approval from someone who knew Saint Laurent better than anyone should count for something. Who knows—maybe this heralds a new era for the brand and will bring back some of the excitement of ’60s Saint Laurent.

What with Raf Simons now officially at Dior, Hedi Slimane officially at YSL and Jil Sander officially at…Jil Sander, it seemed the fashion-land rumour mill was as good as retired. But how silly of us. (Re)enter Stefano Pilati, who was replaced as creative director of Yves Saint Laurent in late February. Sources (namely Jim Shi) […]

The post Gossip that rhymes: Pilati for Armani? appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Everyone wants to know what’s been on Stefano Pilati’s mind since his much-discussed departure from Yves Saint Laurent. The designer, famed for expanding YSL’s now lucrative accessories collection, told the French Institute Alliance Française all about his (somewhat bumpy) time at the house and his relationship with Tom Ford

It’s no secret that Pierre Bergé, Yves Saint Laurent’s former partner and business advisor, adores Hedi Slimane. The mogul would famously exclude then-designer Stefano Pilati from YSL parties and invite Slimane in his place. Nevertheless, Bergé thinks Slimane’s got some big shoes to fill (on the scale of a Nobel Prize–winner, no less), telling T Magazine:

“It’s a great problem, very complicated, to recreate the work of a genius. Like trying to rewrite Faulkner. To put your stamp on the name of Yves Saint Laurent requires someone who has talent, conviction, rigor, a demanding nature and a great sense of colour.”

Well, we thought this had already been settled, but now it’s written in stone: Hedi Slimane is officially taking over from Stefano Pilati at Yves Saint Laurent. Cue the applause from skinny pant–wearing ladies and gents everywhere! The designer, who worked at the house in the late ‘90s, has long seemed a natural fit for the brand—perhaps even more natural than Pilati, who’s held the position since 2004 but never quite reached the critical acclaim that both Yves Saint Laurent or Tom Ford did.

See the collection » “He sure is going out with a bang,” said the retailer sitting next to me, summing up Stefano Pilati’s final collection for Yves Saint Laurent. Black suit after black suit—each one chicer and stricter than the next—opened the show, then life-size calla lilies in purple and green jacquard began appearing from head to […]

The post PFW Diary: Stefano Pilati says au revoir with an almost entirely black final collection at Yves Saint Laurent appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Christopher Kane at Christian Dior? The prince of neon was placed into the Galliano-replacement ring earlier this week by Suzy Menkes, who claimed, in her International Herald Tribune column, that the 29-year-old designer was set to take a seat on the dizzying designer merry-go-round—but alas, he’s already put the rumour to rest. Kane says, “I […]

The post Well, you can cross Christopher Kane off the Galliano-replacement list at Dior appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Just three days after the Raf for Jil swap, Yves Saint Laurent has announced that creative director Stefano Pilati will leave the company’s helm following the collection’s Fall show later this week in Paris.

Pilati’s ride at YSL has been a bit of a bumpy one with critically inconsistent collections. But despite a lack of support from YSL heavyweights (Yves Saint-Laurent himself once told WWD, “Some of what he does is good. Some of it is not so good.”), Pilati has rocketed the house towards considerable commercial success (though not quite at Gucci-era Tom Ford levels) with his conception of hit accessories like the Muse bag and Tribute shoe. More than a feat in these financial times, right?

Is Dior eschewing ladylike in favour of bold restraint? After a virtual explosion of excited rumours on Twitter last night, WWD is now reporting that Jil Sander creative director Raf Simons is closing in on a deal to become John Galliano’s replacement at Dior. Known for his brightly hued and minimalist/maximalist designs, Simons might not be the first designer you’d associate with Dior’s aesthetic, but in his recent collections he’s shown an interest in couture techniques— he has even incorporated ball gowns and bridal looks, all of which have garnered rave reviews from critics.

After a few lackluster seasons and being reportedly difficult to work with, it’s been rumoured that Stefano Pilati will be out at Yves St Laurent once his contract is up in March 2012. The fashion world is dying to know who his replacement will be. According to the New York Times’ Suzy Menkes, who suggested the move in her review of Sander’s Spring 2012 collection, Raf Simons will be YSL’s new head designer.

Menkes’ comments on Simons replacing Pilati sent the blogosphere and Twitterverse into a frenzy with even her colleague Jessica Michault tweeting that Menkes broke the news. Both YSL and Jil Sander have denied rumours. YSL told WWD that “Stefano Pilati continues to dedicate his talent and energies to Yves Saint Laurent and the coming fashion show.”  On Sander’s end, it’s being reported that Simons has signed on to do four more seasons for the label.

While it doesn’t look like Pilanti is going anywhere in the next week or so, it isn’t confirmed that he’s renewed his contract with YSL. We’re hoping for some fresh blood at YSL sometime in the near future, even if it isn’t Simons, although we have our fingers crossed that it will be.