view slideshow »

Saint Laurent Does Eighties with a Twist

Finally, after a half dozen collections for Yves Saint Laurent, the house's creative director, Stefano Pilati, did what he really needed to do – lighten up.

Pilati had made some rather plush, posh and snazzy tailored collections for YSL, but nothing that quite captured his own particular brand of panache. Today he did.

Until, that is, this Sunday afternoon, January 27, in Atelier Berthier, the north Paris warehouse used by the Paris Opera to paint their scenery, when Pilati properly unleashed his talent with an innovative take on men's fashion that felt right on the fashion zeitgeist and that requisite two steps ahead.

"It's my generation, the Eighties, and I want to bring it back," laughed Pilati backstage, referring to the sense of fun and excess that he injected into an essentially classy collection.

Above all it was the sense of new tailoring; in particular the rapper cut cashmere trousers with huge roll ups, in which he took his bow, that were paired on the catwalk with micro, unvented jackets, or peg leg trouser shown with oversized fluid jackets, in a dramatic contrast.

Pilati was right on the moment with his sportswear, too, presenting a series of biker-jogging pants. Lots of designers have been playing around with this concept in Paris – Dries Van Noten and Lanvin to name a few – but Pilati took the idea further, in particular with a beige pair with gold lurex inside padding that echoed the linings of a hefty top coat.

Showing oversize jackets hit the right note in the feminization of men's fashion phenom happening all over Milan and Paris catwalks.

YSL also featured a grandiose Quadraphenia parka, clever Sloppy Joe cardigans and some great new footwear – either chunky soled brothel creepers or rubberized slippers for street action.

All told it was defiantly dandy, yet quirkily new, rather like Stefano himself.

		* A Very Betsey Birthday Bash * Martha Davis: Industrial Design Meets Shoes