Saint Laurent creative director Hedi Slimane sat down with the legendary Dirk Standen, former editor-in-chief of Style.com. In the extremely rare interview for Yahoo Style, the Saint Laurent designer talks about his decision to rebrand the label when he took over, how childhood bullying influences his design aesthetic, and why he loves menswear.
The skinny silhouette has become a staple in the fashion world, mostly due to the work of Slimane during his time at Dior Homme. While the look is popular now, Slimane reveals that it was his own status as an outsider because of his skinny physique that led him to designing that way. "I was precisely just like any of these guys I photograph, or that walk my shows...," he tells Yahoo Style. "Many in high school, or in my family, were attempting to make me feel I was half a man because I was lean, and not an athletic build. They were bullying me for some time, so that I might feel uncomfortable with myself, insinuating skinny was 'queer.' There was certainly something homophobic and derogative about those remarks."
Slimane, who often uses musical subcultures as touchstones for his collection, says that it was his rock heroes who kept him going while he was being bullied. "I would turn to my music heroes, and this was comforting," he says. "They looked the same and I wanted to do everything to be like them, and not hide myself in baggy clothes to avoid negative comments. David Bowie, Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, Mick Jones, Paul Weller, I felt connected to their allure, aesthetic and style."
The designer also speaks on his decision to re-brand the company from Yves Saint Laurent to simply Saint Laurent, a move that was widely questioned by critics. Slimane was confused by the initial criticism because Saint Laurent was the original name of the label. "The return to the original name would also help me to recreate a legitimate and lost balance between the Fashion and leather accessories, besides keeping women’s and men’s fashion side by side," he said. "I believe the restoration of the name “Saint Laurent” was the only right thing to do, despite the irrational reactions surrounding my first year, ironically a blessing in disguise that unexpectedly gave all the publicity that was needed for my project. Naturally, I couldn’t possibly imagine that going back to the historical and most respectful roots of Yves would create such a polemic."
Slimane also talks about how his background in menswear still informs the way he designs today. "Menswear is about perfecting the same pieces over and over again," he says. "It is a personal taste for classic or what you call iconic items."
Slimane also talks about why he is re-introducing couture to the label, the exclusive clientele he will work with, his relationship with critics, which has been fraught with controversy in the past, the connection between social media and fashion, and his love for Los Angeles. It is a long read, but well worth the time; read it here.
