“The idea of ‘perfection’, or harmony – the idea of ‘Chiffre d’Or’ – is interesting,” contemplates Hedi Slimane, on the subject of male beauty. “Vulnerability is beautiful to me. There might be a need to fabricate your own beauty paradigms. I guess
“The idea of ‘perfection’, or harmony – the idea of ‘Chiffre d’Or’ – is interesting,” contemplates Hedi Slimane, on the subject of male beauty. “Vulnerability is beautiful to me. There might be a need to fabricate your own beauty paradigms. I guess I never quite bought into any kind of ‘standard’.” Hedi Slimane backstage at the Dior Homme by Hedi Slimane S/S 07 show featured in the A/W 06 issue of Another Man.
Hedi Slimane has dedicated his career to subtle, but significant innovation. He looks to the past, catalyses modern youth cultures and has revolutionised menswear – both on the streets and on the catwalk. Yesterday, Yves Saint Laurent announced that Slimane will return to the fashion house as Stefano Pilati’s successor and hold the title of Creative Director, assuming total creative responsibility for the brand image and all its men's and women's collections.
"I always visualise a collection in space – as a line up... I think of photographs and of proportions"
Slimane began his career assisting Jean-Jacques Picart on the centenary of the Louis Vuitton "monogram canvas" project, before moving with him to work at Yves Saint Laurent. He then held the position of menswear artistic director until 2000, and this is where he introduced the highly influential "silhouette Slimane" – which consisted of a narrow and androgynous cut. He worked closely with Mr Saint Laurent and expressed how he "had simply touched (his work)". Slimane then took his revolutionary silhouette to Dior, where he launched Dior Homme and sent shockwaves through contemporary menswear. In 2007 he took a break from design, moved to Los Angeles and began taking photographs of the youth scenes surrounding him, launching the HEDI SLIMANE DIARY.
Having already accomplished the remarkable feat of turning a generation of adolescents on to style through his heavily influential photographic works, Slimane will continue these projects whilst at Yves Saint Laurent. It is not often that a change in disciples is successful, but for Slimane design and photography have become inextricably linked. He told AnOther in the A/W 06 issue of Another Man: “I always visualise a collection in space – as a line up,” Slimane says. “I think of photographs and of proportions. It is the opposite of the romantic definition of a Caspar David Friedrich.”
Text by Isabella Burley
