What's the style of the new Yves Saint Laurent?
An elaborate grunge fashion style, the kind of style that was first made widely known in the 80s and 90s, but not the kind that looks very 80s and 90s. In other words, a new element of alternative rock style is added by the touch of boho and vintage baby doll dresses. Many people, no, only men wigged all the love out of it. It's probably true that men's view on fashion isn't as definitive, if substandard is an underrating word to use, than that of women's.
If you've read fashion late last year and earlier this year, FT called it as the "bad Topshop" while Guardian quoted it as "Forever 21 in a bad day". If you can't pretty imagine it still, allow me to add my own nomenclature of the new Saint Laurent style-- a Barbie doll gone wild.
It is a mixture of dirty and irreverence, the way Yves is dropped from its original brand name of Yves Saint Laurent. But I don't mean it disrespectfully. Do you remember I told you in my first count of sentences that its kind of style was first made popular in the 80s and 90s? Meaning that the look is not actually completely new.
When you see it, you might think in the same wavelength as I did. It isn't actually a style that would make your pupils dilate that much in awe. Because we've all seen almost the same ensemble once or twice (or thrice) in our lives before. But maybe, Slimane's bold reinvention of fashion is a validation of the real street style that the rest of us in the world actually already have. A proof that fashion is not only for those women who look like they have an unlimited credit line for ridiculously expensive collection of top brands. Its style is something which we haven't really seen displayed on the runway in the last 5 to 10 years that's probably why our reaction is not v. likely.
But designer Jean Paul Gautlier even told Vogue in 1993, that Grunge (which is the fashion style of Saint Laurent now) is nothing more than the way we dress when we have no money...aesthetically, it is functional, too (jackets for warmth and boots for protection from wet)-- and comfortable-- something which a sequined Alexander McQueen dress or a Louboutin gladiator shoes cannot give. It is relative in a way.
On a second thought, the Saint Laurent style is a deliberate approval to the unique fashion sensibility of every people who appreciates the style of Kurt Cobain and Pete Doherty. Finally, an uplift to its previous connotation of clothes that are simply handpicked from the ragbag. Well, not anymore.
Hedi Slimane (pronounced with a silent "h"--Edi--Sli--man) raised the bar of authentic street style. Although I still love the former style of YSL, as other people do, we don't know what his fashion creativity can contribute in the future. Some people might just be thanking him for replacing Stefano Pilati at YSL and renaming it with the label Saint Laurent Paris (which I think is a due respect paid to the established name and style that YSL is already known for). After all, critics be pestered, the new Saint Laurent (without Yves) topped the fashion billboard next to Chanel.
Watch the Saint Luarent Fall/ Winter 2013/ 2014 Full Fashion Show below:
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