L'Esprit du Jean (Shrimpton) Ne Sais Quoi ... Saint Laurent FW2014-15 Advertising Campaign

Call it Mod, call it the Swinging London — the sixties are alive once again in Saint Laurent’s latest advertising campaign for the fall/winter 2014 season. 

Captured by Creative Director Hedi Slimane himself, the series of black and white photographs – a concept that has been synonymous with the brand – were shot in Los Angeles.

For the campaign, model Valery Kaufman was roped in as Slimane’s muse for the season. 

The fresh faced Russian model whose working portfolio includes fashion editorial stints in the Russian and Brazilian editions of Vogue, ID Magazine, as well as several haute couture runway stints for grandiose fashion maisons such as Christian Dior, Valentino and Armani Privé, was immaculately transformed into a modern day reinterpretation of the Swinging London icon and British supermodel Jean Shrimpton.

Utilising Mr. Elevator & The Brain Hotel’s song entitled “When the Morning Greets You with a Smile” as the soundtrack of the shoot, Kaufman delivered a stunning performance as she channelled out the inner Shrimpton inside her. 

Graceful and effortless, Kaufman brought out the soul of the pieces to life, evoking beautiful nostalgia. Her eyes were heavily lined with kohl while her hair was fringed at the front to recreate that graceful 60s look.

Like homage to the chic days of Mod, most of the fall/winter 2014 pieces are richly drenched in sequins and pailettes with clean lines and girlish approach. 

Velvety long-sleeved dress with cuffed sleeves and Peter Pan collar, harking back to the classic British boarding school days are amplified with rosette-like bejewelled buttons on both cuffs and the plackets. 

On the other hand, fur coat – the utmost epitome of luxury – is given a rock n’ roll treatment with bold white stripes or large white polka dots over shiny, jet black milieu with soft yet rich texture on the surface.

Saint Laurent’s most iconic look Le Smoking appears radiant and refreshed as Slimane pairs it with embellished waistcoat, a pair of culottes with softened silhouette and opaque leggings, injecting supreme yet liberated feminine feel to the look. 

To kill the chill of winter, seductive ensembles such as buttery soft leather biker jacket and matching skirt, double breasted overcoat, gilded belted jacket inspired by those of the Mod-era, and also fur coats in leopard print are the perfect pieces to put on. 

Complementing the ready-to-wear pieces are shoes drenched in glitters, gilet crafted out of lush and sheen fur, ring with oversized semi-precious stones, fringed triangle drop earrings, and the box-shaped Lulu Bunny bags. 

Capturing images for Saint Laurent advertising campaigns aside, Hedi Slimane’s, who is also an accomplished photographer, had his photographic works featured in prominent fashion publications such as several international editions of Vogue, Elle, ID and V Magazine, just to name a few. 

Slimane also photographed actress Angelina Jolie who appeared on the cover as well as fashion spread in the June issue of Elle, both US and selected international editions. 

In the issue, which also featured monochromatic mood with minimal background, Jolie was dressed from head to toe in selected pieces from Slimane’s spring/summer 2014 collection for Saint Laurent.

Saint Laurent fall/winter 2014 ready-to-wear and accessories collection will be arriving at Saint Laurent stores and selected multi-brand boutiques and department stores worldwide soon.

*Photos courtesy of Saint Laurent

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