Yves of Destruction: YSL Reveals 'Saint Laurent' Branding

Posted by Mark J. Miller on July 24, 2012 05:14 PM

Yves Saint Laurent announced last month that it was dropping the Yves from its ready-to-wear line, and the logo looks to have shed a little weight as well.

A big departure from the brand's iconic intertwining YSL letters, the new logo (revealed on its Facebook page) is all caps in white type on a black background, signaling a return to an earlier period of the company when the logo type was much simpler and straightforward. New York magazine notes commenters on the brand's Facebook page harrumphing at the change. "Where's the iconography? This is not iconic," said one. "YSL without the Y is not YSL," wrote another.

Looks like recently appointed creative director Hedi Slimane is going to have a lot of defending to do while designing the next line of clothes and bags — or NYC T-shirt company Rocksmith may feel compelled to cover up the brand's logo yet again.

More about: Yves Saint Laurent, YSL, Fashion, Design, Logos, Rebranding, Luxury, Facebook, Social Marketing, Fans, Hedi Slimane

Sullos says:

That to us reads as the first thing a brand does when it wants to push away their customer base.
From the YSL FB page one YSL fan says it best...

"i think this is a slap in the face of one of the greatest designers thta will ever walk this earth. yes, this was originally what he names his company but the fact that theyre changing it back and removing his first name post his death just seems straight up disrespectul. also, SL looks dumb, YSL is known worlwide and recognize instantly SL just doesnt scream luxury. this is a terrible idea and the ceos are making a huge mistake.

July 25, 2012 02:42 AM #

Dan T. says:

I agree with Sullos. It seems a very bold and dangerous move to change the name of such a revered and historic brand. Brooks Brothers would not be the same if they just changed it to Brooks, nor would many other brands. I think this a misguided move and will be interesting to see how it plays out.

July 25, 2012 11:03 AM #

guillaume says:

I bet YSL will step back soon and all they would have earned would be a great PR coverage like Gap a year ago!

July 25, 2012 12:09 PM #

RWordplay says:

Guilaume,
Excuse my presumption but the PR the Gap enjoyed was largely negative. If not, actually, humiliating. That changed merely confirmed what most of us already knew: The brand had lost it raison d'être years before, and now existed simply to pay its employees and leases. (A kind of corporate socialism.)

I suspect people who shop at the Gap do so for one of two reasons: 1. Habit; 2. The clothing is cheap, is always on sale. 2 for the price of 1 is a very persuasive argument during these troubled times.

July 29, 2012 05:45 PM #

Nick Byrne says:

I may be getting to nostalgic/historical but...I actually like the demi-retro branding which goes back to the original r-t-w rive gauche roots and styling. The YSL and Cassandre design is beautiful and will in any case be kept and will probably be used for the probably to be re-introduced couture line. And don't forget YSL was really misused pre-Tom Ford in some very shaky dodgy licensing deals, so I think in terms of Hedi Slimane and a return to Helmut Newton chic, I am with the change...(back?)

July 26, 2012 04:09 AM #

And yes I meant "too" - sorry for typo!

July 26, 2012 04:10 AM #

Yes, it has a rather sad, generic feel about it; OK, a semblance of luxury, insofar as some people still think black on black connotes elegant or refined, and white type of black,sophisticated. On the other hand, as names become increasingly abbreviated, the better to play globally, this kind of change can be expected.

I suspect there was also some commercial rationale for the change. Remember Yves is long gone—in business time—and Gucci group, which owns the brand, probably came to the conclusion that Saint Laurent is more modern and so more chic.

Or, perhaps, the commercial consideration was that "Yves" cannot be pronounced by Mandarin speakers, or other newly affluence Chinese.

So, in the final analysis: Black is stylish, "Paris" says fashion, Saint Laurent is vaguely familiar...and when read at a glance, this is enough.

Besides who but the cognoscenti, have a memory that goes back more than a season or two, and, what's more, who has time for a history lesson.

July 29, 2012 05:39 PM #

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