After much speculation, it has been confirmed that Hedi Slimane is exiting Yves Saint Laurent, leaving the fashion house after a four year tenure.
The news was confirmed in a joint statement issued by Yves Saint Laurent and Kering - the luxury group which owns the storied French brand.
‘What Yves Saint Laurent has achieved over the past four years represents a unique chapter in the history of the house,’ said François-Henri Pinault, chairman and chief executive officer of Kering.
‘I am very grateful to Hedi Slimane, and the whole Yves Saint Laurent team, for having set the path that the house has successfully embraced, and which will grant longevity to this legendary brand.’
Slimane is widely credited with the successful repositioning of Saint Laurent, responsible for changing the brands name from Yves Saint Laurent to Saint Laurent and resulting in a significant financial turnaround, with the fashion house reporting revenues of around $1 billion dollars in 2015.
But who will replace Slimane? It is expected that Belgian-Italian designer Antony Vaccarello is set to take the helm, with WWD reporting a start date of May 1, in time for the SS17 shows in Paris this September.