A Retrospective of Yves Saint Laurent Advertising
The iconic French fashion house changes its name to Saint Laurent; we look back at their advertising over the years.
In March this year, Hedi Slimane was appointed Creative Director at Yves Saint Laurent, taking over from Stefano Pilati who had held post since 2002. It was confirmed earlier today that Hedi will be changing the name of Yves Saint Laurent to Saint Laurent — quite the shake up for one of the most iconic fashion houses OF ALL TIME.
Hedi, who designed YSL's menswear from 1998—2000, has taken inspiration from the label's own history in his rebranding specifically YSL circa 1966 when the brand introduced its first RTW line under the name Saint Laurent Rive Gauche. The typeface and wording of that time are going to be appropriated onto the label's modern face, with the new look to be introduced just in time for the Spring 2013 collection arriving in stores.
To mark the occasion and celebrate Hedi's vintage inspiration, we look back at a retrospective of YSL advertising from the 1960s until now. In its long and celebrated history, YSL has been responsible for some of the most influential and memorable advertising in fashion, having worked with the world's biggest and best photographers from Helmut Newton, Mario Sorrenti, Inez & Vinoodh, Mert & Marcus, to Jeurgen Teller. Likewise, the world's biggest and best models have always starred in the label's campaigns, whether that be Jerry Hall and Iman in the 70s and 80s, the original supermodels from the 90s, Kate Moss or Karlie Kloss. They've also had some of the most controversial ads, like that infamous Opium one featuring Sophie Dahl from 2000, which was pulled from billboards, and a TV ad last year which was banned from TV for simulating drug use. Enjoy!
Ingrid Kesa
