News flash: YSL is to be renamed – and the whole fashion industry is buzzing about why….
It’s one of the most surprising pieces of news of the year – and nobody had any idea.
Yves Saint Laurent, the iconic Parisian fashion house founded by the now-deceased Saint Laurent himself, is going to be renamed ‘Saint Laurent Paris’ by its new head designer, Hedi Slimane. The YSL logo will remain on all the products, but the renaming will affect everything from branding to advertising to the catwalk.
It’s a surprising move – and possibly an alienating one. Yves Saint Laurent prided itself on its loyal customers, and a branding shift might make them feel less at home.
However, possibly Slimane wants to move away from the shadow of the powerful Yves himself – an exhibition devoted to YSL in Paris last year featured liberal photos and artefacts from the man himself, beside the clothes.
Slimane is in a tough position – a former partner at YSL, Pierre Berge, told the press that trying to step into the master’s shoes would be like ‘trying to rewrite Faulkner’. Saint Laurent had a towering reputation.
It’s the end of an era – and a big risk. Do you think Slimane is being foolhardy, or doing what he needs to do?
Image: Yves Saint Laurent vintage ad featuring Linda Evangelista.
StyleTread, the Aussie website making waves for its three-hour delivery policy, has a new line of accessories instore – and Rescu. is mourning the loss of our bank balances.
Just for starters, there’s Nicole Richie’s award-winning House Of Harlow vintage-inspired accessories line, which was named after her young daughter and is credited with lifting Richie into the heavy-hitting style stakes. It’s all hippie-luxe – rough edges, Indian prints and lots of gold – but there’s no feather-and-leather style here, just lots of sleekness.
Then there’s cult US brand Wildfox, which tends to be the source of trends. That pastel hair-streak you’ve seen everywhere this summer? Wildfox did it in their catalogues a year ago, and bright young things followed suit. It’s the cutting edge of fashion and it’s hit Aussie shores.
The style is young but edgy – bulbous rings and fake-pearl necklaces – but just cool enough to wear with a business suit and look incredibly on-trend. And if you’ve got too much jewellery or are just a bag addict, Urban Originals, whose satchels are to die for, have their new range on the site too – all muted colours for autumn, pale leathers and fringing.
Accessories are often the last exports to reach Australia – clothing is more immediately profitable and the turnover is swift – so we’re glad somebody’s looking out for us on the mid-price international scene.
Image: StyleTread’s House Of Harlow jewellery.
Rescu. just loves Alber Elbaz. First he celebrates 10 years at Lanvin with a serenade at the microphone at the 2012 show – and now he releases one of the most anticipated capsule accessories collections of the year.
The collection is a greatest hits of all Lanvin’s best creations during Elbaz’s reign, and it’s more complex than most fashion houses’ primary lines.
There are ten ‘categories’, if you will, all with a theme based on a Lanvin signature from the past ten years – there’s animal print, embroidery, Elbaz’s famous sketchings and the infamous tulle-and-pearls combination, among others.
For each of these themes, three accessories have been created: a shoe, a jewellery piece, and a play on the brand’s famous ‘Happy’ bag.
It’s been a good year for Lanvin, and a busy one. He sang Que Sera Sera at the runway show, announced the first Lanvin children’s line, and has been giving interviews to every publication about his very good decade. The Creative Director certainly seems to be enjoying himself.
The 10th anniversary limited collection won’t be released till August – but we’re expecting a very long waiting list.
Take a peek at the exclusive preview image: will you be getting Lanvin fever and perhaps wanting a little something in your Christmas stocking? It’s never too early to start thinking…
Image: Lanvin 10th Anniversary capsule collection.
Glomesh was a staple of the 70s in Australia – you weren’t somebody until you had a mesh clutch, and they’re now sought-after vintage items.
Now they’re relaunching – and dispensing any of the vintage cobwebs with entire new ranges.
Glomesh is an Australian company through and through – it was founded by Hungarian immigrants Louise and Alice Kennedy in 1957, and its first factory was in Bondi Junction. It saw the advent of metal mesh, which is now coming rapidly back into fashion – and Glomesh is being relaunched by the founders’ grandson.
The relaunch is beginning with a bang, with a remake of the classic Alice bag. No dowdy, aged shapes here – it’s all glamour all the way. The Alice bag, which comes in black, burgundy, white and gold, takes the mesh which is the label’s staple and puts it in a luxurious setting. It’s one way to update your wardrobe with metal-chic: the mesh outside is paired with leathers and 24-carat gold in a shape reminiscent of a Kelly or a 1950s clutch. It’s very Mad Men.
Taking care of Glomesh can require attention – aluminium mesh is delicate after repeated use. It’s recommended that you polish it after every use, keep it firmly away from nail polish, cosmetics or salt, and once a month clean it gently with a clear furniture polish, to maintain the sheen.
Are you going to get onto the Glomesh revival?
Image: Glomesh Alice bag.
