The Saint Laurent house is getting back to its roots with new campaign stars like Marilyn Manson, Courtney Love, and Ariel Pink in self-styled looks. (WWD)—RAY SIEGEL

BRAND STORY – The origin of the brand

According to Saint Laurent, the house’s ties to the rock world were cemented in 1971, when the founding couturier dressed Mick Jagger and his wife-to-be Bianca for their nuptials in Saint-Tropez.

Slimane revived the tradition during his first stint at YSL in the late Nineties and made it a leitmotif of his fashion career at Dior Homme, dressing rockers including The Libertines, The Kills and Franz Ferdinand over the years. (WWD)

 Fashion Designer and Photographer Hedi Slimane understands YSL’s history with Rock Royalty. You may want to see more picture of trashy rocky HERE (Slimane’s ongoing photography project ‘Rock Diary’.)

THE MEANING – Fashion meets rock

The Glorification of rock’n’ roll, drugs, and provocation is not new and still very efficient to put some light on the brand and creating a  little buzz.

Saint Laurent here is using the sacralization of rock music and charismatic/ iconic rock star with well known background of scandals and provocation.

The sacralization of rock music is accomplished by each generation of youth, which draws its collective identity from the song of these rock stars. The ecstasy here derives from the liminal experiences of sex, violence, and mysticism (e.g drugs) associated with this music as well as deriving from the music experience it self (Belk, Wallendrof and Sherry

ADVERTISING LOGIC – Zero

It’s still a bit weird to see those figure from the past being new face of this high luxury brand. I mean who are those people now? They look like old creatures from the past that resurrect for a moment with the help of a marketing team grateful hand who need to do a coup-de-maitre to give the Saint Laurent brand a new start. But what needs Saint Laurent is a fresh start with new ideas, to re-gain the trust of its customers and fans. After the big flop of the new logo for the house, Yves Saint Laurent’s PR team needs to take more consideration of its fanbase and I don’t think it is by serving them some old crap “rocky idol”.