YSL has gone through a lot of changes lately, including changing the ready-to-wear name to Saint Laurent Paris and naming Hedi Slimane as creative director. So, naturally, we were all waiting on tenterhooks to see the designer's first creations at the show Monday. Unfortunately, critical praise was lukewarm, and while it was far from ugly, it wasn't the most exciting collection we've ever seen. Cathy Horyn, among others, was a lot harsher, and, evidently, Slimane did not take kindly to her criticism.
Good news is that, apparently, this collection is getting snapped up. Buyers and bigwigs from Nordstrom, Barneys, and Bergdorf Goodman were head over heels for Slimane's dark, sexy aesthetic. Ultimately, selling clothes is what it's all about, but we have to wonder if Slimane, as an artist, is equally fulfilled by sales as he would be by praise from the industry's most respected voices. Either way, we hope he feels proud of and at peace with his collection — and we're still very, very excited to see more from a designer whose potential is great, beyond the shadow of a doubt. (Fashionista)
Image via Fashionista.