Stefano Pilati's pre-fall collection started where his men's show for Yves Saint Laurent left off: with leather. Look number one was a trench that married a charcoal wool-cashmere flannel upper with a glossy black leather skirt. But unlike the men's show, this was no extended riff on Robert Mapplethorpe.
Rather, it was a love letter to the YSL oeuvre, with Pilati reinterpreting Saint Laurent classics for today. Leopard spots are just about as synonymous with the house as the trench; what gave them new life was how he filtered them through an urban lens, laser-cutting them onto a coat's lapels for a subtle, bas-relief effect, or boldly embroidering them in bronze silk thread and matching sequins on a black evening coat.
The designer's own staples got an airing, too. The success of Spring 2011's evening jumpsuits prompted a reprisal, but this time around Pilati showed them for day with matching blazers or bow-neck blouses. Another blast from the past went back a few years more: This season's shoe is a Tribute 2 heel with a loafer last that he first introduced at his YSL debut for Spring 2005. Like the originals from seven years ago, these looked like they could be a hit.
