Homan: New creative direction at Saint Laurent reflects industry trends

Ain’t Laurent without Slimane?

Hedi Slimane, creative director of Saint Laurent, is exiting his four-year tenure at the brand and being replaced by Anthony Vaccarello, according to an April 4 press release.

Slimane is known for rebranding Yves Saint Laurent into Saint Laurent Paris — thus sparking the infamous “Ain’t Laurent without Yves” shirt — and for bringing a grungy, punk aesthetic to the label. He was also commercially successful, as he increased revenue for the brand.

Now, Slimane has come to the end of his “four-year mission,” according to Saint Laurent.

Slimane’s replacement, Vaccarello, is a 33-year-old Belgian designer who has his own label. He is known for his balance of sharp tailoring and sexy, feminine dresses. While he is relatively unknown to be considered for such a big position, we will see what he has to bring to the table when he shows his first collection for Saint Laurent for the spring/ summer 2017 season this fall.

While it may seem odd that such an inconspicuous designer is taking on this huge role, it is just another example of a recent pattern happening in the fashion industry. For whatever reason, the past six months have been filled with new designers working for prominent fashion houses.

Bouchra Jarrar is succeeding Alber Elbaz at Lanvin. Alessandro Michele was just appointed creative director of Gucci. Demna Gvasalia took over as artistic director for Balenciaga. If you have never heard of any of these new kids, it is because they aren’t the high-profile names everyone was expecting to land these positions.

It is unclear why houses are choosing more inexperienced designers to carry out the success of their fashion empires. It seems risky, but it could pay off if all goes well when these designers start showing collections for their new labels. Perhaps their lack of a strong reputation will allow them to adapt more easily into a new brand.

Still, creative and artistic directors need to have strong points of view, which typically develop through a variety of experiences at different brands. It is possible that leaping into one brand too quickly will make it difficult for these designers to create their own unique identities — if they are thrust into their new brands’ identities before taking time to carve out their own, it could make it difficult for them to have an individualistic point of view after their time at these brands is over.

At the same time, though, young designers bring a freshness that some of the industry regulars might be losing. By bringing these new minds into the scenario, it gives them a chance to really prove themselves and their talent.

A four-year tenure seems short for a creative director who was widely regarded as successful, but Slimane can be proud of his accomplishments at Saint Laurent and hope that Vaccarello is able to carry on the success of the brand. Vaccarello has a lot of pressure in taking on this responsibility, but Saint Laurent executives believe he is the best choice.

New designer or not, all eyes are now on Vaccarello, so it’s time to remember the name.

Jackie Homan is a sophomore magazine journalism major. You can email her at jahoman@syr.edu or follow her @jackie_homan on Twitter.