Yves Saint Laurent

Posted 25th June 2009 00:00 BY Alex Fury

Yves Saint Laurent is a bastion of tradition - let's be honest, they didn't dub the late, great Yves Henri Donat Mathieu-Saint-Laurent 'Le Maître' just for abbreviation's sake. His successor, Stefano Pilati, has established some traditions of his own: just as Yves' couture continued to be shown in respectful silence well past the point where blaring rap and dance music became standard salon fare, Pilati turned to film to show his menswear back in 2008 and has continued ever since. Each season, these films sum up the mood of Pilati's moment - for Spring 2010, Pilati turned to French director Samuel Benchetrit to direct the black-and-white ten-minute film that opened his presentation.

As with last season's excursion, the film evoked the mood and inspiration behind Pilati's designs rather than meat-and-potatoes basics of the collection - the only YSL garments being a hat, sunglasses and 'Le Smoking' worn oversized by a preadolescent boy. But the absence of clothing was perhaps the film's strength rather than weakness. The garments, after all, are better viewed in the showroom and attempting to showcase them purely through film would inevitably be difficult (and has tripped up the best in the past).

What have we learned of Pilati's collection from this film? Admittedly both were monochrome, with a focus perhaps, on the sensual (witness scenes silent except for slithering, crumpling fabric). A play on oversized proportion similar to the tuxedo jacket on young Jules Benchetrit? Those generous lapels, shot cuffs and layers emerged later on his grown-up Gallic counterparts. But overridingly there was an abstract sense of lust, desire and even love on clothes and screen. And when the bottom line is becoming increasingly important, those are just the emotions Stefano Pilati should wish to evoke in - and more importantly, about - these luxurious garments.