That was the most commercial collection yet from Hedi Slimane. No, really. Strip away the styling – the ripped fishnets, chain necklaces, studded chokers. Wipe off the fierce Aaron de Mey make-up (winged black eyes, gash of red lipstick). Take off the wigs by Didier Malige (sharp-angled, fringed bobs).
Forget the incredible stage set that rose up and down by way of supersonic hydraulics as if we were in a 100,000-seater stadium. Never mind the bone-rattling vibrations of The Felines screeching out Pretty Boy, recently recorded in Paris for the show. You might as well remove the attitude, too: snarling, stomping. (Let’s not dwell on the morality of sending young women down the catwalk in 2015 practically baring their crotches, nipple and/or bare thin legs through torn tights…)
And after all that, you’ve got a collection of hugely sellable clothes. To be precise, you have: tailored menswear wool jackets (9), cigarette-slim trouser suits (7), leather biker jackets, cropped and slouchy (7), narrow, single-breasted coats in tweed, leather and bold coloured fur (9), cropped fur jackets (5), MA1 bomber jackets (2), capes (2) and transparent plastic mac (1). Add to that 41 dresses – some so tight and short they barely scraped the knicker line, others were like miniature prom dresses (Hedi’s new obsessional shape), springing out at the waist by way of tulle layers and sometimes cut in bold red or covered in polka dots. Then tally in a few pairs of slashed leather leggings, the odd blouse (printed a la Yves), with red lipstick and a striped mohair jumper.
But back to those frocks, which are essentially dressing for the real Saint Laurent goods, the outerwear as numbered above and the leather goods: footwear and bags. They too will be hot sellers – and copied ad nauseum – such as the new chain-wrapped ankle boot; more like a leather sock with a heel and a lethal pointy toe.
What this all really adds up to is a money-making-machine for Saint Laurent’s holding group, Kering. And also, more importantly – and without the aforementioned distractions – some really damn fine clothes to wear.
