Earlier today, at the British Vogue Festival, Alber Elbaz became the latest person to share his thoughts on Hedi Slimane’s work for Saint Laurent. The Lanvin designer told Simon Burstein, CEO of London boutique Browns: “You’re sure I would say, ‘No comment,’ right? But I comment on everything.”
Switching to a serious tone, he continued, “When you come into a house like Saint Laurent, or Chanel, or Lanvin, and you go into a place that existed before you were born and will exist after you die, it takes some time to get in, to get to people, and to get the energy of the place. Hedi is a very, very, very talented designer. It’s not that I say that because I know him, but I know his work, and both of us worked at Saint Laurent at the same time. I think he’s a very, very talented guy, and we just have to give him time to really build a story. We’re living in a time where everything we are doing needs to be better, bigger, faster and cheaper. And we don’t give the time, because everything is instant. But not everything is coffee.”
He added, “You know, to be a fashion critic is easy, because you just say, ‘I love it, I hate it,’ but life is more than love and hate. Already I hear that it’s selling very well, and a lot of people are wearing it, so I think he’s doing a good job and I wish him all the best, really from the bottom of my heart.”
