Having undergone a multitude of incarnations over the years – not to mention the significant change to revert to the house’s original ‘Saint Laurent’ name, the label is now created under the guardianship of wunderkind Hedi Slimane. Slimane continues to produce a menswear offering that recalls the sophisticated, French-infused DNA of the house’s original offering, but expertly blends it with his own brand of rebellious, rock-inspired style that made his work at Dior Homme so sought-after in the early noughties.
For Saint Laurent’s SS16 offering Slimane channels signature pieces of military apparel; an overdyed camouflage shirt is nonchalantly twisted to the label’s aesthetic, whilst naval pea coats are sharply tailored in the finest of cashmeres.
Working alongside the military references are the dark, rock-inspired influences that have become so ingrained in the look and feel of Saint Laurent’s menswear. Casually distressed tees bear simplistic star motifs, vampire fangs and monochrome marble prints, whilst crew sweats are updated with tough zippers to the neckline and raw finishing.
Underpinning the collection are some of the market’s finest examples of slim-fit jeans – sharply cut with an ultra-narrow leg in raw selvedge denim along with an offering of distressed styles, ripped at the knees and acid washed to create a pair of jeans that take a ‘lived in’ appearance to luxurious new heights.
The collection’s trophy piece – a seriously tough biker jacket – is constructed from the finest leather and treated to a black-out design. Oversized, matt black zippers give it the final dark touch that makes it so unmistakably Saint Laurent.
Take a step into the dark with the Saint Laurent SS16 Collection available now at EndClothing.com.
