HIGH HOUSES SWAP HAUTE HEADS: PILATI – SLIMANE
One of the most lucrative and central roles to a high fashion label is conceivably that of the creative director. Often an appointed eye of fashion clout, if not the designers themselves, the creative director holds the weight of what defines one grandiose brand from the next.
They are why you do not confuse a Dior with a Prada. They are the reason you know when you see a Chanel or a Gucci. The magnifying lens has moved from Galliano’s departure to Pilati’s arrival as Yves Saint Laurent passes the torch to Christian Dior, welcoming creative director Stefano Pilati. After ten years with Yves Saint Laurent, harnessing the bridge between brand and business, Pilati made his exit in the most suitable of ways with his dramatic collection rooted in what one might recognize as the darkness and delicacy of an Aronofsky film, and the boldness of an 18th-century armed force. It was a climactic departure for one of YSL key innovators even though the switch had been circulating anticipation in recent weeks. Pilati, known for his reign in ready-to-wear names and his work Prada and Armani, presented his final pieces revealing his unyielding commitment to detail, having been tailored early on in textile and fabric research.
The creative director spotlight goes further ablaze, segueing to former Dior Homme and once-upon-a-time YSL designer as Hedi Slimane steps back into the scene. The celeb-photographer slash designer-stylist said peace-out to fashion and his trademark skinny black suites (Dior Homme) while taking his French blood and camera chops to a new level, most recently capturing the essence of Ms. Cobain, the child within a child of Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love. Slimane’s loaded photo ops have slingshot him back to fashion as he gears up to rock the YSL house again. A 360 back into the director’s seat, Slimane proves that no matter how unglamorous behind the scenes may read (seemingly incestuous), everyone comes out on top. No doubt the next fashion season will see echoes familiarity woven vicariously in the touches of the duo haute houses Dior-YSL and their respective duo haute heads Pilati-Slimane. Whatever results from the brand swapping, the French and Italian battlefield for paramount products on the material market will un doubtedly churn out capital collections for fashion enthusiasts.
