RUNWAY REPORT.....Saint Laurent RTW Fall/Winter 2016

Helmut Newton Haute: Saint Laurent Fall/Winter 2016

WHAT: Saint Laurent RTW Fall/Winter 2016 by Hedi Slimane. This was a momentous collection in terms of the Fashion World. For several reasons: There are rumors that this might be Slimane's farewell collection and if so, it was a very OVERT homage to THE GENIUS of Yves Saint Laurent. I'm not so sure that he might be on the way out but possibly, Slimane might be getting a new title as head of Saint Laurent Couture, if this RTW Fall/Winter 2016 collection is an indication. It was impeccably made and with the most exquisite of fabrics, including the finest of leathers draped and ruffled in a way only the Master's atelier would have been able to do it. Dresses that looked from photos as if to be of printed fabrics, turned out to be (after closer inspection) hand-sewn sequined masterpieces...

Inspirations, perhaps?--Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture designs, 1970's-1980's

Oh, and yes, then there was the Homage to YSL: There was Le Tuxedo, Le Pouf; One Shoulder Divas; The UBER 1940's Fur Coats (referencing YSL's scandalous Fall/Winter 1971 Haute Couture Collection). About the collection, some--including WWD--thought it was more of a parody, they said "How 'bout Eighties camp couture?". Yeah, they did. But I thought it was FABULOUS. I LOVED it. I say BRING ON the YSL Eighties camp couture, thank you very much. I also LOVED that the show was done a la Couture old school: No music and instead, just a voice reading off the numbers of each look..."Numero Un".

Shoulder Divas: Saint Laurent Fall/Winter 2016

I am sure that this is a very limited clientele...say, the MTV Fashion Divas such as Lady Gaga, Sia, etc. but I have a feeling this is all a precursor for an upcoming Saint Laurent Couture collection headed by, you guessed it, Hedi Slimane. Yves Saint Laurent Director of the Archives, Monsieur Pierre Berge was sitting in the front row, along with Catherine Deneuve and Betty Catroux. And they all clapped after seeing that final bright red heart-shaped fur coat. If those Haute Couture emperors (and empresses) of style liked it, then I think it was all very Tres Bien!

Collection Highlights: