Even with the largest YSL retrospective to date set to open in Paris, Stefano Pilati forged ahead on a path of his own trajectory, forgoing mining the house’s archive directly and instead making only subtle references to the master’s 70s heyday. “Nun chic” was how many described the collection at quite glance–indeed, it was covered and protective–but these were no convent clothes. Pilati, in his show notes, referenced “A new tailored sportswear” and “A classic Parisian bourgeois sensibility.” Capes in all its manifestations, from outerwear to see-through PVC overlays (not to mention caped collars, caped-sleeve dresses and caped sleeves on the strict three-piece pantsuit tailleurs), manifested themselves simply everywhere. Skirt lengths nodded towards the emerging trend for the mid-calf silhouette and the current mood for pantsuits. Blouses were the key layering piece, worn as roll-collar tunic tops with a gathered yoke. A strict palette of black on black, with white and grey offset with signature YSL brights (fuchsia, cobalt, jade and daffodil yellow) kept the overall mood conservative.
