A Change Will Do You Good?

On June 21, 2012, it was announced that the brand would be renamed Saint Laurent Paris, so why have YSL decided to change their name. I don't know what brought about this change of name from an establlished brand that everyone knows and everyone loves but it got me wondering will it actually make a difference? YSL have been an establlished French brand for 50 Years in fact this year is their 50th anniversary. YSL is a luxury fashion house founded by Yves Saint Laurent and his partner, Pierre Bergé.

First to think about their future it is important to consider the history of this iconic brand that everyone knows by three iconic letters. YSL was founded in 1962 and it was during the 1960s and 1970s, the firm popularised fashion trends such as the beatnik look, safari jackets for men and women, tight pants and tall, thigh-high boots, including the creation of arguably the most famous classic tuxedo suit for women in 1966, Le Smoking suit. Some of his most memorable collections include the Pop Art, Ballet Russes, Picasso and Chinese ones. He also started mainstreaming the idea of wearing silhouettes from the 1920s, '30s and '40s. He was the first, in 1966, to popularise ready-to-wear in an attempt to democratise fashion, with Rive Gauche and the boutique of the same name. He was also the first designer to use black models in his catwalk shows, in fact one of YSL favourite models was Noami Campbell.

Among St. Laurent's muses were Loulou de La Falaise, the daughter of a French marquis and an Anglo-Irish fashion model, Betty Catroux, the half-Brazilian daughter of an American diplomat and wife of a French decorator, Talitha Pol-Getty, who died of drug overdose in 1971, and Catherine Deneuve, the iconic French actress. Ambassador to the couturier during the late 1970s and early 80s was London socialite millionairess Diane Boulting-Casserley Vandelli, making the brand ever more popular amongst the European jet-set and upper classes.

In the 1998-1999 seasons, Alber Elbaz, currently of Lanvin, designed 3 ready-to-wear collections. Pierre Bergé appointed Hedi Slimane as Collections and art Director in 1997, and they relaunched YSL Rive Gauche Homme. Hedi Slimane decided to leave the house 2 years later. In 1999, Gucci bought the YSL brand and asked Tom Ford to design the ready-to-wear collection while Saint-Laurent would design the haute couture collection. In 2002, dogged by years of poor health, drug abuse, depression, alcoholism, criticisms of YSL designs, Saint-Laurent closed the illustrious couture house of YSL. While the house no longer exists, the brand still survives through its parent company Gucci Group. The prêt-à-porter line was produced under the direction of Stefano Pilati after Tom Ford left in 2004. His style is decidedly more French than the overtly sexy image that Tom Ford perpetuated.

Now YSL have had a very interesting history and the fashionable A List have been rocking their designs for years. YSL have also had the Hollywood A List queueing up to front their clothing, make up and perfume campaigns from Emily Blunt to Liv Tyler to their latest poster girl Jessica Chastain everyone wants to represent the French and their favourite brand. YSL seems can do no wrong. So with all the success of the brand why change the name now? Is it because of the 50th anniversary, is it because the brand had been diminished? I just can't say. YSL will soon be known as Saint Laurent Paris and will be shortened to SLP to me it doesn't really have the same ring as YSL.

YSL will always be YSL the brand everyone knows for their tribute sandals and gorgeous handbags and Touche eclat so will changing the name really make a difference. I don't think it will but for me YSL is all about the iconic letters and the way you feel when you wear pair of their shoes or hold one of their handbags. SLP may be their future but YSL will always be the essence of classic French design, style and Elegance and as YSL said himself 'Fashion may change but Style is eternal.'