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Yves Saint Laurent Fall/Winter 2008
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Since Yves retired, his label has continued with mixed success under other designers. Alber Elbaz (now celebrated at Lanvin) was given a brief shot before being unceremoniously dumped by Tom Ford who had just revived Gucci. Ford added YSL to his design roster. Yves disliked Tom Ford for the audacity and flash Ford gave to the tired collection. While it was a commercial success, fashion critics often savaged Ford’s version. In recent years, Stefano Pilati has had more success. His first collections of tulip skirts with wide belted waists were mocked but surprisingly quickly copied. Today his Muse bags and Tribute pumps (worn by every fashionable celebrity) have updated and energized the old look. His coming fall collection features a severe femme fatale look with all of the models sporting dark banged custom fitted bobs and purplish lipstick. The reaction: one of respect. Pilati has advanced the YSL aesthetic for the 21st century.
If you want to learn more about Yves Saint Laurent’s spectacular career, check out the retrospective currently held in Montreal at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts until September 28, 2008. For a fascinating read about his fragile health and career path, pick up The Beautiful Fall by Alicia Drake that explores his battles with drugs and mental illness. It’s a great read about his life and contemporary Karl Lagerfeld.
Lisa Tant
Runway photography by Anthea Simms
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