It's been a busy week for Saint Laurent—the men's show on Sunday, the departure of one CEO and the arrival of another, and, finally, the presentation of Hedi Slimane's pre-spring collection for the women's line. But if change is afoot elsewhere at the brand, the designer's approach to its ready-to-wear is unwavering: To borrow a phrase, rock 'n' roll will never die.
Leather, tuxedo tailoring, and what the PR team is dubbing "stagewear"—think shift dresses in glossy red sequins, a crystal jacket picked out in a baby-cat pattern, or a one-shoulder minidress with a chain-link strap—constitute the bulk of the new line. The collection was shown alongside the menswear, and in fact, there's a lot of overlap between the two. Basics like zippered gray marl sweatshirts, animal-print denim, and long bandanna scarves are essentially unisex, it was pointed out. Slimane apparently took his cues for the softer, drapier dresses from ballerinas. A ruched bustier gown with a short-in-front/long-in-back hemline managed to be both romantic and edgy at once. Even if she's playing good, the Hedi customer is a bad girl. A bad girl with a big bank account.
