Where’s Hedi Heading? 5 Imagined Post-saint Laurent Scenarios

Words by Jody Hume | 7.5.16
Ever since he stepped down from his position as Creative Director at Saint Laurent in April, speculation has abounded about what Hedi Slimane will do next. And then, the recent news broke that he was suing Saint Laurent parent company Kering over his non-compete agreement — but not for the reason you may think. He actually wanted Kering to reinstate the non-compete, meaning he would be compensated but couldn’t work for another label for a set period of time. In the end, Slimane succeeded and Kering was ordered to fork over $13 million so that Hedi can do … nothing. But he probably won’t do nothing. Below, five imaginary next steps we see for Slimane.

Hedi might: band together with other designers and …

Hedi Slimane post Saint LaurentSlimane loves music maybe as much as fashion and is known to idolize rock stars and underground bands alike. He’s photographed Courtney Love, Kim Gordon and Joni Mitchell and more musicians for his Saint Laurent Music Project and curated runway soundtracks by Ty Segall, Cherry Glazerr and Daft Punk. What better second act than to start a band with designers who have made high-profile exits from major luxury houses? We nominate Alber Elbaz on drums and Raf Simons on bass.

Hedi might: wait out his non-compete and …

Hedi Slimane post Saint LaurentThe only question is, will it be a clothing label or a record label?

Hedi might: make like one of the rock stars he admires and …

Hedi Slimane post Saint Laurent
Another prediction is that Slimane will go off the radar for a few years as he did after departing from Dior Homme, an idea that jives with his desire to reinstate his non-compete. We’re guessing $13 million is enough for a good number of nights at the storied LA haunt, where Hedi could hide out shielded from publicity just like the rest of the city’s celebs.

Hedi might: strike a deal with the Kaiser and …

Hedi Slimane Karl Lagerfeld ChanelOne of the most popular rumors has Hedi succeeding 82-year-old Lagerfeld at Chanel. Given the famous rumor that Karl dropped a ton of weight specifically to fit into the skinny trousers Slimane designed for Dior Homme, we think this would be a fitting transition. Whether or not Choupette is part of the deal? Tbd.

Hedi might: swap skinny jeans for board shorts and …

Hedi Slimane post Saint LaurentPre-non-compete cash, this could have been a viable alternative for the designer. Slimane loves LA (enough to relocate Saint Laurent’s Parisian atelier there) and it might be the country’s most lucrative market for chic pool cleaners and connected cabana boys.

Illustrations by Meghann Stephenson

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