Yves Saint Laurent

Stefano Pilati presented his final collection for Yves Saint Laurent tonight, ending rumors of his imminent departure. Will it be Hedi Slimane, Raf Simons or a dark horse who takes over Pilati's influential role at the Parisian house? That's a question that will hopefully be answered with more haste than the interminable Dior drama. But before we all start speculating on the future of YSL, let's take a moment to appreciate Pilati's moving swan song.

Pilati struck a beautiful balance, embracing the season's hardcore leather trend and highlighting some of the finer points of his tenure at the label. He opened with a coatdress, another of the season's key trends. The wide leather lapels hinted at le smoking, but this wasn't lip service to the house's namesake. Kimono dresses cinched with leather belts and large samurai sleeves alluded to his fascination with Japanese tech, and the Pilati plunging neckline was in full force in a pair of dresses that hinted at chain mail.

The mostly black color palette brought a somber note to the proceedings, but the standing ovation pretty much confirmed what we've all been thinking: that this had better not be the last we see from Stefano Pilati. 

• Posted Mar 05, 2012
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