'New Vintage' Collection By Yves Saint Laurent

By Margarita Nahapetyan

Earlier this week, Yves Saint Laurent brought us "New Vintage," a unique project that was presented at luxury retailer Barney's New York. It is an exclusive collection designed by Stefano Pilati, the French brand's creative director, which uses recycled materials from the YSL past collections. With conservation and recycling as an ultimate power trend, fashion designers all across the world are stepping up to contribute on their part.

While the majority of famous fashion icons try to use organic and eco-friendly fabrics in their designs, New Vintage gives a new twist to the meaning of sustainability. Cut-outs, faded dye, fringe detailing and plasticized lapels, all on classic silhouettes: nothing too different from the fashion brand's usual designs. However, when you have a little closer look at the label, you will be able to discover Stefano Pilati's true accomplishment. Each item has been created from leftover pieces of cotton from archived YSL inventories, forming a one-of-a-kind collection.

There are fifty clothing items featured in the New Vintage line, including handbags and shoes, priced at the couture level from $500 and up to $4,100, with an average price point of about $1,000. It must be said that the fine cotton drill fabric did not generate from the time of the late Yves Saint Laurent himself, but rather was taken from excess fabrics from the previous ten years, starting with the time when Pilati worked for Tom Ford at the fashion house.

All the items from the new collection carry a special New Vintage label and is numbered, and each is one-or two-of-a-kind, ranging from blazers and slacks to simple dresses and trench coats. Pilati also redesigned the Downtown bag and a strappy sandal for the collection purposes. The color palette was perfect as perhaps Pilati's wisest decision with pale blues, whites, pinks and earth colors that are just ripe for the season's pickings. Midway through the presentation, most of the pieces had already been sold out.

In his written statement, Pilati explained that 'New Vintage' is his own way to reflect current social and economic state by concentrating mostly on existing resources to transfer sustainable 'values' into 'forms.' The designer himself was the master of ceremonies at the inauguration of the event, which was attended by famous figures like Barneys creative director Simon Doonan and an editor of Purple magazine, Olivier Zahm.

Pilati credited Julie Gilhart, Barneys' senior vice president and fashion director, with encouraging and supporting his idea of creating the unique collection. "Stefano and I have talked about doing something more conscious," Gilhart, herself considered a pioneer of the green movement in luxury retail, said at the party. "He came up with the idea of going into the archive, and looking into the fabrics and reusing them."

The limited edition and numbered collection will be sold exclusively at luxury retailer Barney's New York.