Au revoir Hedi Slimane - The designer leaves Saint Laurent

So Hedi Slimane has left Saint Laurent. For months, speculation was rife that the former Dior menswear designer would be exiting the brand, and now it has finally been confirmed with a joint statement by Kering and Slimane. 

"What Yves Saint Laurent has achieved over the past four years represents a unique chapter in the history of the house," stated Francois Henri Pinault this morning, chairman of the Kering group. "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."

Can I say I'm surprised? Well not really. Slimane was good for a couple of seasons and it was nice to see such a dramatic make over of such a classic brand like YSL, taking over from Stefano Pilati. But after a while it all got a little boring - (there's only so much you can take of rock chick girl season after season.) What Slimane will do next is unknown, maybe set up his own brand? But the big question is who will replace him at YSL. Anthony Vacarello is a favourite so far but in this crazy world of fashion, names will always be thrown about in anticipation of who will be the actual replacement. With Dior also recruiting for new a creative director, YSL will have to move fast to snap a worthy replacement. I think it would be great to see someone who already works at Saint Laurent to step up and take over. Someone who knows the brand and heritage well and is super passionate about all things Yves - similar to what happened at Valentino with Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paulo Piccolo, former accessories designers at the Italian fashion house. 

For now, let's take a look back at some of Slimane's best moments at Saint Laurent, with my favourite show being the fall 2013 collection. I loved the 70s fedora hats and amazing tailored skinny suits. From the messy undone hair to the super cool biker boots, this show for me really established Slimane as a respected fashion designer. I also loved his final show, which was only shown a couple of weeks ago at PFW. It was couture on another level, with the huge shoulder pads, sparkly mini dresses and eccentric make up. In hindsight this was a farewell collection, with Slimane putting on a truly amazing show to say his final goodbye - and what a way to bow out!