July 28, 2015 |
What does it mean to take on someone’s name? Not in an identity theft way, I’m talking in a ‘legacy’ sense. Yves Saint Laurent Paris, Couture, to be specific. A name like that takes responsibility, it needs to be upheld, a house of that size needs more than a coat of paint and a bit of general maintenance you’d need a maid, a gardener and a housekeeper. For Saint Laurent Heidi Slimane is all of these, rolled into one very talented man.
Continuing his project of ‘reform and restructuring’ with the ready to wear lines taken care of, it was time to put the spotlight on Couture. With already a history of over 50 years of YSL resting on his shoulders, Slimane is a man that seems to love a challenge and has taken on The Hotel Senecterre, new home to the Yves Saint Laurent Salon Couture and Atelier. Built in 1685, that ups the stakes to 330 years of French history. Slimane persists in his journey for the label meticulously recapturing the spirit and tone of “Saint Laurent Rive Gauche”.
The setting: designed originally by no less than King Louis XV’s Thomas Gobert, Marble Floors, 16th Century French Chandeliers. The clothes: hand selected by the designer, with only a precious few deserving of the hand sewn silk sating couture label. Does it get much more Lavish than that? I don’t think so. The campaign images shot in black and white simultaneously embody the luxurious history of the house and celebrates it’s French heritage. Welcome back Saint Laurent Couture, we missed you.
