YSL Becomes Saint Laurent Paris

“Fashions fade, style is eternal.” – Yves Saint Laurent

Yesterday, the world was made aware of one significant change in fashion.

Come fall, Yves Saint Laurent, under the creative direction of Hedi Slimane, will change the brand’s name, morphing from Yves Saint Laurent to Saint Laurent Paris – dropping the “Y” in “YSL.” It’s all part of a larger scale exercise in branding – with Mr. Slimane at the core. What this means for the French iconic fashion house is still anyone’s guess, but with 80 plus stores around the globe and a strong-as-rock recognizable logo, it surely means something.

As recognized by The Guardian, “Equally significant is that the new name represents a powerful flexing of muscle by Hedi Slimane. The initials YSL, taken from the name of founding designer Yves Saint Laurent who died in 2008, have become a part of French culture.”

The logo has come to define a certain level of Parisian recognition, but this only exemplifies that Slimane plans to take charge and run his ship his way – especially when it comes to moving the design studio from Paris, to where he currently resides – in Los Angeles. Only time will tell what becomes of Slimane’s ultimate plan, but knowing that “YSL” is now “SLP” will be reflected in his designs, products, and overall aesthetic of one of the most established and respected fashion labels in history.

What do you think will come of the renaming of YSL?

(Photo Credit: Yves Saint Laurent by Inez and Vinoodh from the story Respect The Shooter: Inez van Lamsweerde & Vinoodh Matadin. )