YSL CEO on the House Post-Slimane
YSL CEO on the House Post-Slimane
In an interview late last month, YSL CEO Francesca Bellettini expressed confidence in the brand’s growth over the coming months, citing a belief in balanced growth as the proponent. “Saint Laurent is never too skewed vis-à-vis anything — vis-à-vis a product category, vis-à-vis a channel — because we really believe in balance. It’s part of the DNA of the brand,” Bellettini stated, “We are a French couture house. We are the only French couture house to be relevant in both men’s and womenswear. Since the start, Monsieur Saint Laurent found nothing extraordinary in seeing a man and a woman wearing the same clothes. In the end, it’s not the same clothes, but just to say that both genders are equally important.”
Bellettini went on to explain that in order to maintain growth in revenues and profits, the company takes several factors including balance into account. Among these factors are addressing the figures based on nationality as well as geography; ensuring each client is given the “YSL experience” in order to maximize brand loyalty; and balancing business by channel, whether that channel is retail, wholesale or royalties.
On the subject of creative director, Bellettini addressed the revitalization of the brand through Slimane and chose not to speak for Vaccarello. “Well, Anthony will shortly speak for himself with his first collection and I think that will be the number one, biggest response,” she stated.“What has been done by the company with Hedi since 2012 was to bring back into the brand a sense of modernity, content, that youth spirit, bringing clarity to the brand strategy and the brand DNA, to be relevant for today. This is why the acceleration has been so big.”
Needless to say, clients and fans of YSL alike are interested to see what will emerge in the coming seasons under the new creative director, and which direction the brand will take.
YSL CEO on the House Post-Slimane
