Stefano Pilati Q&A

Stefano Pilati has been at the helm of Yves Saint Laurent as creative director since 2004. In a relatively short space of time (even in the fashion world), he has steered the direction of the classic brand back to its French roots, though his latest menswear collection for Autumn/Winter '08 has a distinctly British feel, not to mention a ground-breaking presentation. We caught up with the creative director to find out a little more...

Why did you decide to show the collection in a multimedia format as opposed to staging a traditional catwalk?

I used video as a medium because it seemed fitting considering today's social and cultural climate. I wanted the message to have a broader, more democratic reach than a catwalk show can achieve.

We found it refreshing that you chose to work with directors who are relatively young, what was it about their work that particularly attracted you to them?

Their curiosity and innate creativity. It was as new and exciting for them to work with fashion as it was for me to work with video.

Do you think this multi-media type presentation may be the future of showing collections?

What I know is that it works for me, for Yves Saint Laurent, now.

How significant is it that both the directors and Simon Woods are British? Do you feel there's a new vibrancy afoot in British culture?

I have always admired British culture and traditions.

How does this fit in with the direction of the YSL brand?

We are constantly pushing safe boundaries, experimenting. It keeps fashion vital.

How do you feel experimental methods of showing collections will affect the way people view, think about and ultimately purchase fashion?

They introduce the possibility of an intimacy and a connection between viewers/consumers and the collection that may not have been there before. A video experience can elicit a visceral, emotional reaction from its audience that is unmatched.

We feel the crossover of creative disciplines of late is leading to an amalgamation of culture as whole, where each discipline is no longer viewed as a separate entity in itself, operating in a creative vacuum - what are your thoughts on these developments?

There are certainly overlaps amongst disciplines and it's true that they occur these days with greater frequency. Where such crossovers produce synergistic possibilities they are useful. Still, maintaining the integrity of a single discipline - its unique identity - is essential.

Where do you see the YSL brand fitting into this?

Yves Saint Laurent has always been about a world, a set of ideas and aesthetics. It has never been only about fashion.

24 January 2008 | Fashion