With one for the boys this season in Paris, Hedi Slimane unashamedly held the torch for pop-culture savvy with a Saint Laurent spectacular, providing prime Instagram fodder for the new me generation thanks to clothing that has the distinct ability to communicate the beauty of boyhood with a sophisticated rockabilly maturity that has now become Slimane’s stock-in-trade. The creative force displayed his grandmaster of funk sensibility through his storied midas touch, from instantaneously collectible invites to an atmosphere, oh the atmosphere, a heady mood that’s so vivid it’s almost tangible, and thanks to the multi-faceted clothing it is, henceforth resulting in a reverberating electric buzz.
Next to the archetypal Slimane drain-pipe form we saw the return of the Teddy boy aesthetic, rife with the sex appeal of the new, more charged, Saint Laurent man, whilst an emphasis on immaculate tailoring emerging this season, dominating on account of indisputable craftsmanship. The thrashing masculinity of the shapes was energized by an array of glam, somewhat androgynous, yet cunningly so, overcoats, spirited with sparkles, fuzzy hound’s-tooth, brazen leopard prints with a hint of zebra every now or then, strikes of lipstick red, carried through with strong shoulders.
The moody, angst ridden hues were complimented by leather, which was also a must this season, as always, with a dedication towards the classic biker jacket and inclinations to a variety of other forms. To mark the new year Slimane invited us to come on and feel the noise of a new wave charm, and that we did, with a rounded collection that has almost been ripped out of the iconic pages of The Face or i-D at a time in which the magazines were in their embryonic stages.
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By Liam Feltham
Images courtesy of Style.com