While Ford’s exit from both YSL and Gucci was not entirely voluntary, the disgruntled noises emanating from Paris were understandable. There had been talk that Ford had not been true to the brand’s heritage, that he and co-founder Pierre Bergé had not seen eye to eye. Whatever, Ford was gone, his successor, Stefano Pilati, had been announced, and the fashion and business worlds (for YSL is a division of the mighty PPR group) were waiting expectantly. Stefano Pilati, 38 and Milanese, was not a household name, but he wasn’t an unknown quantity either. With a background which included stints at Armani and Prada (more specifically at Miu Miu), he had been invited by Ford to head up design for the Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche label in 2000.

The job was a hot ticket. Names associated with the position (if you believe the hype) had included Alexander McQueen, Marc Jacobs and Victor&Rolf. When Pilati was named, the response of the fashion world was, well, underwhelming. Detractors complained that a chance to continue the trailblazing approach of Ford might have been missed; instead, the powers that be had chosen to promote from the inside a man who might be a PPR puppet, who would not, as Ford had done, ruffle feathers within this great French institution. Pilati’s initial challenge was his first menswear collection, which was presented not as a traditional show, but more of an installation of sorts, wherein iconic images of Saint Laurent were mixed with mannequins and a continuing photo shoot by photographer Nathaniel Goldberg, using models Alexis Vina and Paul Steele (shown here).

According to Pilati, his intention was to suggest a “work-in-progress - something very dynamic, a deliberate homage to Yves Saint Laurent”. Some worried it was too deliberate, but most were impressed, and the clothes - sleek, luxurious, beautifully tailored - spoke for themselves. “Men are more sensible about fashion today, and they know more about quality and cut,” says Pilati, who often designs by trying out silhouettes at home. “Often I wear something without necessarily thinking it’s cool, but people appreciate it, so I use it for the collection.”

Pilati was said to be pleased with the reaction to the show. His women’s wear was still to come; in the end, the reaction would be favourable, if less emphatically so. Pilati’s approach to the future of YSL menswear is, he says,straightforward: “Clothes that will make you feel both elegant and casual at the same time.” His maxim for stylishness, for men and women, “be confident”, while for Pilati the ultimate fashion crime is “looking ridiculous in clothes that might be fashionable, but which are worn with no sense of personality… an absence of style.” Ouch. It looks like Pilati will be more than able to deliver Yves Saint Laurent collections worthy of the name.

All clothes from YSL Rive Gauche spring/summer 2005, to be previewed at Yves Saint Laurent, 33 Old Bond Street, W1, on December 10, and available to buy from January (020-7493 1800)

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