Hedi Slimane Departs Saint Laurent

The rumours have been confirmed.

Hedi Slimane has left Saint Laurent; the news was confirmed in the last 24 hours, and comes less than a month after the designer unveiled his final collection for the house – an haute couture offering debuted in Paris, the campaign for which, featuring Cara Delevingne above, was released just two days ago.

According to reports Slimane’s contract – started in 2012 – came to an end yesterday and was not renewed. His departure follows a disruptive six months for fashion’s heavyweights with earlier exits at Balenciaga, Dior and Lanvin, the politics and the spectacle of which has played a major part in the industry’s current confused state, with many participants worried at the fate of the landscape.

While reports have been mixed, the menswear critic Charlie Porter has provided an insightful and personal take on his site, here.

Since taking the reigns at Saint Laurent, Hedi’s tenure has seen a return to the rock’n’roll focus he embraced while at Dior Homme in the noughties; the ‘SONIC’ exhibition held at The Fondation Pierre Bergé in 2014 married the two scenes, with a broad selection of images from the creative director’s personal ‘ Hedi Slimane Diary’, launched online a decade ago.

Perhaps one of the biggest notes from his short legacy at Saint Laurent (which began with the controversial removal of Yves from the house’s moniker), Slimane’s love affair with music has manifested itself in multiple ways; working closely with specific musicians on the soundtracks to his shows (notably those from the LA scene; he’s been based in California since 2007), casting musicians in said runway shows (see here), and the infamous Saint Laurent Music Project, for which the likes of Marilyn Manson, Courtney Love and Josh Homme have all sat for his lens.

Naturally, fans, hacks and customers alike wait now for the pair’s next moves. 

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