The news has finally been confirmed: Hedi Slimane is out at Saint Laurent. WWD reports that his contract as both Creative and Image Director at the iconic French fashion house expired on Thursday:
Of his tenure parent company Kering recalls, “[a] four-year mission, which has led to the complete repositioning of the brand.” And they couldn’t be any more right. The brand not only had an almost 28 percent gain in the fourth quarter, but also had revenues of over 1 billion dollars last year.
“What Yves Saint Laurent has achieved over the past four years represents a unique chapter in the history of the house,” said Kering Chairman and CEO François-Henri Pinault. He continued, “I am very grateful to Hedi Slimane, and the whole Yves Saint Laurent team, for having set the path that the house has successfully embraced, and which will grant longevity to this legendary brand.”
The announcement of Slimane’s successor could come as early as May 1st: rumored to be Anthony Vaccarello who has had quite momentous success on his own.
Only time will tell who will step into Slimane’s shoes, but after the appointment of Bouchra Jarrar at Lanvin and Dior’s still to be named successor, the entire industry is slowly but surely getting very acclimated with change.
Thoughts on the news?
Spied @ WWD