Paris Fashion Week Spat

Hedi Slimane’s debut as the new designer at Yves Saint Laurent has not been all champagne and roses. Diane Von Furstenberg (above) approves of his first collection, declaring the clothes “pure Saint Laurent.” But not everyone is a fan of “skinny suit” champion Slimane, the subject of today’s Observer profile. Handbags at dawn at Paris Fashion Week as he called New York Times fashion writer Cathy Horyn “provincial” and “average” after she dismissed his first womenswear show as “nice but frozen.” Elsewhere his show was described as “underwhelming” and greeted by “muted applause and hushed voices.” Miaow. Bet he wishes he’d stayed in menswear. 

Click here for link to “Catty” (Slimane’s expression) Horan’s original review.

Interesting responses to the Observer profile. The Guardian’s Alex Needham tweeted: “I know Hedi well. He is a fine, kind man – nothing like the person depicted in your piece.” Elsewhere on Twitter: “shamefully entertaining”, “beautiful write-up”, “Slimane gets a (not entirely undeserved) mauling”. Guardian online comments mostly focus on the readers’ deep-seated loathing for fashion (slightly mystifying why they clicked on a fashion piece but never mind): “Lifestyles of the spoilt and petulant”, “Who gives a frock?” “The fashion industry is [...] heavily over-populated by children.” Never mind, YSL. No such thing as bad publicity…

Diane von Furstenberg pic by David Shankbone. Paris Match pic by Pink Moose.