Yves Saint Laurent is back

Sales up, accessories under development and unanimously acclaimed collections: Yves Saint Laurent has recovered its rank as a major iconic brand.

Restructure or develop? In order to bring Yves Saint Laurent back into the black, Valérie Hermann, President and Managing Director of the brand since 2005, opted for the second choice. And rightly so, if the latest results are to be believed: sales were up by 19.1% in 2006 and by 35.5% in the 1st quarter of 2007. The collections are appreciated, in particular leatherwear, marked by the success of the Muse and Downtown bags, the latter already having gained must-have status. Undeniably, Yves Saint Laurent is recovering: in two years, the prestigious couturier’s losses have been reduced by 30%. These good results strengthen the confidence of the teams and endorse their judicious decisions. This was not immediately obvious… “When you take on a company like Yves Saint Laurent, with considerable losses but which is still a national treasure and one of the three iconic brands with Chanel and Dior, fear is not an option”, comments Valérie Hermann. “I have a fearless team around me.”
To explain the success of this turnaround, Valérie Hermann speaks of the brand’s DNA, “incredible; beyond anything we could imagine. But it is not new, so insufficient. There must also be a renewal of the creative vision and awareness of where we want to go.” The President underlines the quality of the teams surrounding her. Starting with Stefano Pilati, who understands the brand without plagiarizing it, and renews it with his own creative vision. The best verdict: more and more women are choosing to wear his creations. Another asset is the “fabulous desire to succeed” that exists in the fashion house. “To turn the situation around, people need to have the will to succeed, as if it were their own company”, says Valérie Hermann. The press also played a driving role by strongly supporting the brand. “On arriving, I felt the desire for Saint Laurent to succeed, through the press, internally and externally. Because it is a beautiful brand that people feel close to.” So, things are much better, although much remains to be done. Among the major issues to be tackled at Yves Saint Laurent are development in accordance with its ambitions and potential in Japan, and the opening of the Chinese market. The new concept of boutiques, the first of which will be tested at the end of the year in Paris, at a secret address, is also a much anticipated event. Often seen as too sombre, the change promises to be considerable.