FW13 Oversized Flannel in Blue & Black Checked Wool

Saint Laurent's Fall/Winter 2013 menswear collection marked Hedi Slimane's triumphant return to menswear after six years away from Dior Homme, staged dramatically at the Grand Palais with a spinning amusement park ride equipped with speakers as the centerpiece. Slimane cast actual musicians from indie bands including Egyptian Hip Hop, Swim Deep, and Theme Park rather than traditional models, dressing them in his signature ultra-skinny aesthetic amplified with California grunge elements: devastatingly tight leather trousers, Pendleton wool flannel shirts, distressed denim adorned with metal chains, sequin-dusted Fair Isle knitwear under camel duffle coats, and animal prints paired with brown cowboy ankle boots.

This was Slimane reclaiming and intensifying the razor-thin rock 'n' roll silhouette he pioneered at Dior Homme. The collection's raw grunge authenticity and youthful rebellion set the tone for Slimane's transformative tenure at the house, democratizing luxury through street culture just as the founder had done nearly fifty years earlier.