Hedi Slimane

So far, Hedi Slimane has had a major impact on fashion multiple times, at multiple brands. First was Yves Saint Laurent, of which Slimane became the director of menswear at the age of 27. It was here that Slimane designed the “Black Tie” collection for Fall/Winter 2000, which reintroduced skinny silhouettes, particularly the skinny suit, after a decade known for baggy clothing and made Slimane’s name synonymous with a very particular aesthetic. Soon after the collection premiered, Yves Saint Laurent was purchased by the Gucci group, and differences with then-Gucci designer Tom Ford forced Slimane to leave the house. Almost immediately, Slimane found work as the head of Dior Homme in 2000. It was here that Slimane would make perhaps his biggest impact on men’s fashion as a whole: the reintroduction of skinny jeans. After taking some time away from fashion to focus on his own art projects between 2007 and 2012, Slimane returned to Yves Saint Laurent as the head designer of the entire brand, gaining “total creative responsibility for the brand image and all of its collections.” It was during this second tenure at the Parisian house where he made the decision to drop “Yves” from the brand name “Yves Saint Laurent”, prompting much backlash from the critics and public. Slimane proved to be well worth the controversy as Saint Laurent sales rose and the brand went from virtually irrelevant to one of the biggest in menswear. In 2018, Slimane left Saint Laurent to come aboard Céline as artistic, creative and image director. Slimane also introduced menswear to the brand, which many fans wanted for years. While Slimane’s hiring was a controversial move at the time given Céline fans undying love for designer Phoebe Philo, the anger towards Slimane has simmered down substantially as his designs have won over doubters. Never one to sit still, Slimane’s next move will be one worth watching.

When did Hedi Slimane join Céline?
February 1, 2018 was Hedi Slimane’s first day at Celine.

When did Hedi Slimane leave Dior?
Hedi Slimane left Dior in 2007.

Where is Hedi Slimane from?
Hedi Slimane is from Paris, France.