When it comes to modern menswear, Yves Saint Laurent kicked off a trend of reinvention with its appointment of Hedi Slimane. Although, Slimane's stint at the French fashion house didn't last long, he left an incredible impact. Signing on as creative director in 2012, Slimane rebranded ready to wear Saint Laurent Paris. Since, Yves Saint Laurent is easily synonymous with its famous YSL initials, this sparked controversy, but what followed was acceptance.
Saint Laurent by Hedi Slimane
Bringing his own energy to the brand in the form of Saint Laurent, Slimane made rock 'n' roll style cool again. While Slimane's skinny brand of menswear had initially rose to popularity at the helm of Dior Homme, it was at Saint Laurent that the silhouette once again became prominent, along with grunge style. Slimane exited Yves Saint Laurent in 2016, but the new template for fashion houses and new creative directors had been set.
Alessandro Michele at Gucci
In 2015, the fashion world was shocked when Alessandro Michele was named the creative director of Gucci. Following in the footsteps of Frida Giannini, Michele developed his talents working at Fendi as a senior accessories designer. By 2002, Michele followed Tom Ford over to Gucci, where he's held a variety of positions. Much like Slimane, Michele wasted no time in reinventing the brand.
While Gucci has long occupied a space with its brand of sophisticated luxury, Michele reinvented the label with a young bohemian flair. Michele's designs incorporate a fearless mix of prints and colors. Courting the dandy with eccentric designs, Michele has found the perfect celebrity ambassadors in talents like Jared Leto. Representing the modern celebrity designer, Michele's exciting reinvigoration of Gucci has led to 48.3% sales jump in the first quarter of 2017.
Demna Gvasalia at Balenciaga
Taking note, Balenciaga hopes to replicate Gucci's success by taking a chance on Demna Gvasalia of Vetements fame. The designer is known
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