Details on how Yves Saint Laurent would transition to become Saint Laurent Paris have only become more muddled as time has worn on. When Hedi Slimane was announced as the brand’s new creative director months ago, he announced the line’s new name. At first, it seemed as though the “Saint Laurent Paris” nomenclature would only apply to ready-to-wear and the old YSL logo would still be used. But wait, then the new logo was unveiled, and the brand’s PR outfit announced a naming system that includes Yves Saint Laurent, Saint Laurent, Saint Laurent Paris and Saint Laurent by Hedi Slimane, depending on the type of item in question and how the name is being used.
Personally, I long ago stopped trying to decode what it is that Slimane and PPR are trying to force on us. They’re trying to make “fetch” happen, and it seems like most fashion watchers aren’t entirely buying it, perhaps mostly because they can’t figure out exactly what they’re being asked to buy. Those concerns over branding have radiated out into other areas of the business, and for us, the big question has always been, “What’s going to happen to the bags?” It looks like we’re starting to find out.
First, the Saint Laurent Paris Classic Duffel debuted, and although other publications have heralded it as the Next Big Thing, we (and you, judging by the comments) are not so sure. Now there’s the subtle makeover of the incredibly successful Yves Saint Laurent Cabas ChYc, which has been rechristened the Saint Laurent Paris Cabas Classique. You might have noticed a dearth of Cabas ChYc options at retailers lately – only the basics remain at most places, despite Resort 2013 shipments coming in left and right. That appears to be the result of a coming shift in the YSL (SLP?) product line.
At Nordstrom, a bag that appears to be a Cabas ChYc but is called a Cabas Classique is available for pre-order for $2,150, the same price as the medium version of the ChYc. The only difference appears to be the bag’s height – Nordstrom lists it at nine inches, while all the listings I can find for the previous model put it right around 11. The brand indicated that changes to the bag going forward would be limited (until public interest starts to wane, presumably), and a two-inch difference in dimension and a modest name change are minimal indeed. The two-inch difference may even be attributable to a difference in measuring standards across retailers; there’s no way to tell at the moment. Personally, I’m a bit underwhelmed; the Cabas has been around for several seasons and could actually use a re-imagining, and it’s surprising that Slimane declined to do it. Are you still interested in Saint Laurent handbags?
