rumor mill

Report: Anthony Vaccarello in Talks to Replace Slimane at Saint Laurent

Slimane and his potential rival, Anthony Vaccarello
Slimane and his potential rival, Anthony Vaccarello Photo: Getty Images, BFA

What’s going on at Saint Laurent? According to a story in Women’s Wear Daily today, Hedi Slimane will be parting ways with the house that he changed dramatically enough to necessitate a much-heralded renaming. The paper claims that he has yet to reach a contract agreement with parent company Kering, and that they have already started to talk to a potential successor — Belgian designer Anthony Vaccarello, who shares Slimane’s love of barely there minis, if not his affection for all things grunge. (Though WWD doesn’t advance this theory, it’s also possible that the talks are a way of nudging contract negotiations with Slimane along.) Update: We reached out to a rep for Saint Laurent, who said, “We do not comment on rumors.” Vaccarello, via a spokesperson, had no comment.

Meanwhile, the house is still proceeding with a fashion show at the Palladium in Los Angeles, a.k.a. Slimane’s happy place. His men’s lineup and Part 1 of his women’s collection will be shown there Friday; Part 2 is slated for his usual March showtime at Paris Fashion Week.

Report: Vaccarello in Talks to Replace Slimane