It's Not Dead Yet

The Search for Modernity

Not to hit and run, but I feel like it deserves a quick mention. In a recent post, Susie Bubble sort-of-but-not-really defends Hedi Slimane's debut womenswear collection for Saint Laurent. I particularly appreciate her criticism of the circus this season created. It's a good read. 

"It was my mom's in the '80s"

Not too long ago, my mom gave me some things from her closet she thought I could make some money on. I thought she was crazy to think I could get rid of it all. She thought I was crazy for wanting to wear any of it. Several of the pieces I have worn and the other few just hang in a dusty closet in my apartment. I like having them around. I decided to wear her old blazer today and couldn't stop thinking about the line said by  "ugliest effing skirt [Regina George] have ever seen" girl from "Mean Girls." It would be nice if I wasn't condemned as such, but whatever. 

The sunglasses and the brooch just under my shirt collar were both found in Paris at a store called Vintage Bar in Le Marais. I went there several times over the course of my trip, drooling over vintage Christian Lacroix, Chanel, etc. A wonderful blonde woman (maybe the owner?) helped me several times and was more or less the sweetest person I've ever met. I may also just have taken a particular liking to her because she was quite friendly for a Parisian (obviously, she was selling) and highly complimentary in French. An impossibly attractive French boy also helped me out one of the times I went. I'd like to know if there's anything more wonderfully Hedonistic than being among beautiful clothes and beautiful men. There's always the acquisition of these things, I suppose. In any case, obtaining the more material of the two had me plenty satisfied. 

 Vintage blazer and brooch, J. Crew button-up, thrifted shorts and belt, drugstore nylons, Messeca boots, bag purchased at Urban Outfitters, "vintage" Céline sunglasses.

Just watch.

I am without a brain at the moment, so I have not much to say other than this video is absolutely lovely, visually stimulating, informative, and certainly worth a watch.

"...we'd be saying it was major..."

I honestly haven't stopped thinking about Saint Laurent, as being openly critical of a person's creative output gives me anxiety. I've watched the reviews roll in to see how critics I respect have responded. This probably has something to do with validation, unfortunately, but I suppose that isn't so terrible.

SHOWstudio has been hosting lengthy panel discussion about collections that I just became aware of. When the Saint Laurent discussion video became available post live-stream, I watched as Lou Stoppard, Camilla Morton, Kay Montano, Mimma Viglezio and Harriet Walker discussed. I am less than familiar with these women, but have always been impressed with what the site does. Despite my unfamiliarity with the panelists, the discussion was thought-provoking and even a bit educational.

As far as the name change, the women provide sound argument for the name change around the 9 or 10 minute mark. Mimma Viglezio wisely argues that the French have always called the house Saint Laurent, as opposed to YSL. Camilla Morton additionally offers that Slimane most likely dropped the Yves as a sign of respect to his mentor "want[ing] to keep Yves as the man and Saint Laurent as the brand."

Not unlike myself, the women seemed rather disappointed. Viglezio complained about the styling, offering up that it might just be that aspect that caused the runway show to misstep. Kay Montano was not so forgiving, noting an issue I feel fashion-interested people (myself included) suffer from all the time (around 74:30). "I can't help but think if it was really major, we'd be saying it was major... but I'm just wondering if we're making excuses for him." Viewing digitally was also discussed and the argument was made that while appreciation is that much harder from a computer, you do not have the distraction of music and atmosphere to seduce you into loving the clothes. It's an issue I consider almost constantly during show season because I only have so much access.

It's certainly a lengthy discussion, but it's worth the watch if you're even vaguely interested in Saint Laurent, Hedi Slimane, or the politics of change in the fashion industry.

An Immediate and Potentially Reckless Reaction to "Saint Laurent"

The lovely Julia Nobis opening Saint Laurent (photo via style.com)

I've been awaiting Hedi's Slimane debut womenswear collection at the house formerly known as Yves Saint Laurent. Let's avoid a long, superfluous conversation about the name change. I don't like it. My knowledge of Slimane's contributions to the menswear at YSL and Dior is rather limited (just as my knowledge of menswear is), though I know he is revered for a minimalist and sort-of rock and roll aesthetic—the latter characteristic being more so where my interest in this collection resides.

I returned home from class just an hour or so ago, turned on my computer, and saw that Garance Doré had put up some images from the show in a post entitled "The New Saint Laurent Woman." Ever a fan of reinvention, I flipped through earnestly. The three photos were nice, but only showcased models from the waist up (or less), so I turned to style.com for the full story. As I looked at the images, I felt rather underwhelmed. Slimane's obvious 60's/70's I'm-a-rockstar-girlfriend inspiration should have excited me, as well as the masculine-feminine dichotomy that has always been present at Yves Saint Laurent (I am a fan of both), so why didn't it? The wide-brimmed hats, overworn by music-festival goers seemed so outdated, so tired. The voluminous bows on a majority of the looks were playful and dare-I-say classic YSL, but were not cause for recovery. The saloon vibes fell flat.

While I may sound aggressively critical—something I have openly tried to avoid here—I will say nothing was terribly hideous and I vocalized approval a couple times, but nothing felt groundbreaking. Hedi was installed at the house to breathe new life into it, though I find it necessary to say I don't believe Stefano Pilati failed the house. Instead, Slimane has given us a caricature of the young hip girl. I see past seasons of Balmain and Isabel Marant, in the heavy leather skirts and tight cropped pants, respectively, and I wonder: Where is the Hedi Slimane that "fashion people"/my tumblr peers so laud?

Sure, the reinvention of the wheel is a lot to ask, but that's what fashion is. Constant, back-breaking, brain-melting, eye-exhausting recycling and reworking in the effort to "create" something "new." One sometimes wonders if it's possible. Perhaps it's too much to ask. That said, I've been genuinely excited by some of the offerings certain designers (Haider Ackermann's move towards print, the Mulleavy sisters at Rodarte's reinstatement of the woman warrior)  have provided us this month, though none of them have been so built up by their absence. It may all come down this expectation, to a lack of time to process, and I may be eating my words later, but for the moment I'm disappointed.