Hedi Slimane has famously moved the Saint Laurent design team from its birthplace in Paris to California but for one night only California came to Paris. Supermodels were turned into hip LA girls in nostalgic babydoll floral dresses paying tribute to Kurt Cobain with their slouchy plaid jackets. Hanne Gaby Odiele opened the show in a black sheer party dress with gold leopard print paired with a check mohair cardigan – this was a clear sign that we weren’t in Paris anymore. Leather bikini tops matched with leather mini-skirts and black overcoats followed, interspersed with vintage-esque party dresses and more leather and plaid.
Slimane’s woman of the season was an undeniable rock chick – no great surprise as this is known to be one of his favourite aesthetics. Models had the appearance of having stayed out all night to party and were only now walking home in the early LA sunrise, enjoying the freedoms of being young, cool and beautiful.
There were certainly more than a few guests in the front row that could relate to that. “That’s how I dress anyway” was the chorus line of the likes of The Kills’ Alisson Mosshart and Saint Laurent face Sky Ferreira – who Glass magazine featured in our very first issue, precisely three years ago this month. And just look how things have changed since then. This was certainly not what you would expect from a Saint Laurent show, but perhaps that was Slimane’s intention, to take us completely by surprise.Whether or not clients that live outside of LA will be able to connect with grunge and all-night parties is another matter but what is fashion if it’s not meant to be challenging?
Images: Style.com
by Nicola Kavanagh