Hedi Slimane's most memorable catwalk looks for Saint Laurent

AFTER four years at the helm of Saint Laurent, Hedi Slimane is stepping down as the French powerhouse's Creative and Image Director.
Credited with leading a complete repositioning of the luxury brand, the photographer and designer has become famous for youthful and daring collections.
From bringing back the smudged, exaggerated cat eye to patchwork fur jackets, Slimane's collections have become synonymous with an instantly recognizable grungy urban street glamour.
His catwalk highlights over the years have spouted several trends, such as floppy hats and thin ties for women, showcased in his debut Spring/Summer 2013 collection and Spring/Summer 2014 show respectively.
He has also played with disco influences, as illustrated by the glittery asymmetric dresses worn with wide metallic waist-cinching belts for a sleek twist on camp 1980s club style, debuted earlier this month at the Fall/Winter 2016 ready-to-wear show.
Another key metallic look was unveiled back in Spring/Summer 2014, when his menswear show featured plenty of shiny silver jackets teamed with leather leggings.
His latest collection featured a striking electric blue fur jacket that paid homage to YSL's 1971 Spring/Summer line, deemed scandalous at the time.
Never one to shy away from controversy, full-length, tiered furs in neutral hues also featured heavily at his show at the Hollywood Palladium in California in February this year, teamed with gold, stiletto boots.
However, it was the loud striped fur jacket from his Fall/Winter 2016 collection, which featured patchwork blocks of shocking pink, tangerine, blue and leopard print, that truly stole the show.
Another of his favorite fabrics throughout his tenure at Saint Laurent has been leather, with the Fall/Winter 2015 show memorable for its raunchy leather mini dresses and thigh-high boots.
His SS14 show showcased spray-on leather pants hiked up to the naval, while Fall 2015 mixed up chunky biker jackets with tutus.
Sexuality runs like a vein throughout his work, with his collections regularly pitting heavy-duty materials against barely-there fabrics.
His Spring/Summer 2016 show paired sheer mesh bralets with leather shorts and the house's classic tux jacket for sultry vibe that was offset with playful tiaras, while Fall/Winter 2015 featured ripped leather trousers with strategic cut-outs and shredded tights that allowed the models to flash the flesh even when technically covering up.
The transparent blouses of his Spring/Summer 2014 show caused a stir when paired with thigh-skimming leather minis.
Slimane, who has worked closely with the music industry both as a designer and photographer, has regularly combined pop-culture movements and personalities with modern streetwear with apparent ease.

Aside from the obvious rock and roll influence that saturates the general body of his work, examples include his Fall/Winter 2014 collection, which honored the Swinging London of the 1960s via polka dot furs layered over sparkling shift-dresses and Mary Jane shoes.
Meanwhile his Spring/Summer 2016 menswear line was styled on Kurt Cobain, featuring layered animal print jumpers and bombers with white-rimmed sunglasses. — AFP Relaxnews