Kering Ordered to Pay Hedi Slimane $13 Million
Kering Ordered to Pay Hedi Slimane $13 Million
It was announced last month that Hedi Slimane is suing Kering, the parent company of Yves Saint Laurent, where Slimane worked as creative director until earlier this year. The suit has been brought in an effort to have the non-compete clause, which was a part of his contract while he served as the creative director at YSL, reinstated along with the financial dividend the contract warranted.
Late last week, Slimane’s attorney Herve Temime reported to press sources that the initial proceedings are going well, as reports state that the commercial court of Paris has ordered Kering to pay Slimane $13 million, as well as statutory interest from April onwards.
“We won,” Slimane’s attorney declared to Reuters. “I’m happy because this is a natural outcome. The contract terms were absolutely clear.” While this sounds hopeful for Slimane, the legal proceedings are not complete, and Kering has made it clear that this decision will be appealed.
Additionally, while the financial compensation would be substantial, this reinstatement would prevent Slimane from working for several companies or on certain projects. A rumor claiming Slimane would replace Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel, for example, would have to be dismissed until the timeframe for the non-compete clause in the contract had run out, should there be any truth behind the story.
One might suspect that a focus on photography rather than design is in the works for Slimane. His website boasts a collection of grungy yet concise black and white photographs, from celebrity portraits and models wearing his designs, to shots of concerts and skaters, caught mid-motion. During his time at YSL, Slimane took a heavy hand in all aspects of the brand, including the photography for campaigns – not unlike Lagerfeld’s own method of work. Regardless of his next project or movement, there is no doubt that it will be observed with both curiosity and commentary.
Kering Ordered to Pay Hedi Slimane $13 Million
