Friday, October 3, 2008

paris spring/summer 2009 - yves saint laurent



androgyny, or at least its meaning in fashion in the classic sense, has been transformed into mostly brooding looks based on traditional men's attire or fabrics such as the suit and herringbone a la comme des garcon or ann demeulemeester. not the seductive idea that yves saint laurent proposed when he introduced his now iconic "le smoking" or safari looks of the late sixties. fortunately, saint laurent's successor stefano pilati has not only remembered them, for the past few years it has been the inspiration he has divined ideas from. the problem with androgyny of saint laurent's day is that it could appear to be a bit too bourgeois, too polished. an attitude not exactly succinct with modern times. the brilliance of pilati, especially since being appointed as head designer, is his ability to translate saint laurent's ideas into something contemporary. take for example his approach to pant dressing for his recent collection. he basically made what appears to be a skirt but in actually was a pant cut with the crotch so low it gave the appearance and movement of a skirt with the easiness of wearing trousers. albeit it might sound complicated or even unattractive, in pilati's hands however, the power of cut transforms an unfamiliar idea into something feminine and beautiful. he has the capacity to make a woman look polished but at the same time effortless and assertive of the wearer's individuality. there is a sensitivity that is apparent that allows pilati to execute his ideas into something flawlessly wearable. just like saint laurent himself, pilati's respect for female beauty, and the challenge to make it even more beautiful is the drive that pushes the house at the forefront of fashion.


photo: style.com

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