Saint Laurent Spring 2015
Whatever your thoughts on Saint Laurent’s direction under the leadership of Hedi Slimane, there’s no denying two things: street style stars love the designer’s glittery Mary Janes and chelsea boots and the cash registers are ringing loud and clear. There’s one more thing that’s undeniable — Slimane’s obsessed with L.A. culture and every collection that he’s shown (for both the label’s menswear collections and women’s collections) has drawn from the rock ‘n roll culture that developed here during the ’70s. But now with the disco decade pinging all over the fashion world, Slimane’s Saint Laurent moved the trend forward. The Spring 2015 collection brought glam rock to the forefront with plenty of luxe detailing, metallic finishes and platform shoes that’ll have those sparkling Mary Janes green with envy.
Saint Laurent Spring 2015
Past Saint Laurent collections have been inspired by the ladies of Laurel Canyon and the rock stars that frequented the stage at the Viper Room, but this season, Slimane honed in on disco dancing and the over-the-top style of singers and their groupies. There were plenty of the brand’s new signatures, including leggy models wearing black stockings, truncated shapes that meant short shorts and cropped jackets and the long lean lines that Slimane carried over from his time at the helm of Dior Homme. But the L.A. girl, dressed in her up-to-there shorts and her tiny leather jacket never tries too hard, so while it might look like some of the items Slimane showed could have been picked up at the Goodwill or Salvation Army, they were embellished to the nines. There were embroidered velvet capes that drew on the house’s couture roots and the mixed-media platform boots, which combined leather, metallic skins and velvet, definitely looked expensive (and are sure to be when they hit shelves).
Saint Laurent Spring 2015
The Sunset Strip came together with the Rive Gauche with prints of cherries, abstracted flowers and stars pulled right from Hollywood Boulevard. Suede patchwork jackets and fluttery dresses stood out against all-black outfits and flashes of sequins made even the most weary fashion editor (Saint Laurent shows in Paris, the last stop of Fashion Month), seemed to get a glint in their eye when a micro mini or shrunken blazer passed with a hint of crimson. It was those details that reminded everyone that they weren’t at a rock concert, but at the presentation of a label with access to the best embroiderers, fabric printers and more. The girls looked ready to rock, their couture-level embroideries and studded platforms looked like they’d survive even the pushiest mosh pits.
The finale shined in true (new) Saint Laurent style, with allover metallic mini dresses, a few fashion turbans — this was the ’70s, after all — short leather outfits and not a single gown to be seen. It seems that the Saint Laurent groupie isn’t into red carpets, but she’s sure to be the center of attention at all of the afterparties.
Images courtesy Style and Vogue
