Hedi Slimane on Backlash Against YSL Re-Branding Into ‘Saint Laurent Paris’

“It is interesting to see how much reaction this retro branding has created … Clearly, this period of the history of the house was not well-known, which I trust was a surprise for Pierre Bergé [Saint Laurent's long-term partner]. I went back to 1966 — just before the events of 1968 [when 11 million workers revolted against the conservative politics of then-President Charles de Gaulle — the biggest general strike in history], but the awakening of youth was in the air, and Yves Saint Laurent wanted to dissociate himself from the clientele of haute couture and embrace this new generation.” - HEDI SLIMANE