Stefano Pilati - Designer

[taz]

here is a new article about Pilati:

Posted on Sun, Nov. 20, 2005

The new man at YSL

ITALIAN DESIGNER BRINGS FEMININE CLASSICS BACK TO A VENERABLE PARIS FASHION HOUSE

[SIZE=-1]By Nerissa Pacio

[SIZE=-1]Mercury News[/SIZE]

It was Stefano Pilati's version of casual Friday. The creative director for French fashion house Yves Saint Laurent flew in from Paris earlier this month for his first West Coast appearance sporting an off-white double-breasted suit coat, dotted tie, pocket square and crisp khaki trousers instead of his trademark three-piece suit.

This is California, not Paris, notes the lean, slick-haired Italian. And although he unabashedly admits he's always been a ``dandy,'' his goal in dressing for this particular afternoon at San Francisco's Neiman Marcus was to feel polished, presentable and comfortable.

This manner of scrupulously considered dress is Pilati's very definition of fashion and key to his long-term vision for the 44-year-old luxury brand.

``My work is special,'' says Pilati, 39, puffing a cigarette after a luncheon and fashion show of his spring 2006 collection for a select group of Bay Area socialites and clients. ``It's all about dressing up. You're supposed to. You should have the time to change during the day for different occasions. That is luxe to me.''

Pilati laughs and smiles during the interview with a candor unexpected of a man who has come under much industry scrutiny since taking the helm of YSL in 2004, replacing his American predecessor Tom Ford.

Ford, formerly creative director for the Gucci Group which owns the YSL label, transformed both waning brands with much-needed sex appeal and a celebrity following.

Ford left YSL and Gucci under tense circumstances and went on to launch his own beauty brand in partnership with cosmetics giant Estee Lauder. Pilati, who was Ford's right-hand man at YSL, stepped in for spring 2005 knowing that comparisons would be inevitable.

Now, after several collections -- his most recent a critical success on the Paris runways -- comparisons to Ford may have finally dissipated. At least Pilati hopes so.

``I've dealt with these comparisons because it was normal to deal with, but now it's time to stop. I mean, I didn't fire him. I didn't kill him!'' Pilati jokes. ``I worked with Tom side by side for seven days a week. But now it's over for me, and it should be over for everyone else. It's time to appreciate -- or to not appreciate -- the work.''

Indeed, critics have begun appreciating Pilati's work. The New York Times in April named him among an elite group of innovative designers dubbed the ``Paris six,'' and in the September Vogue, he is classified as one of the fashion world's ``Magnificent Seven'' alongside luminaries Marc Jacobs, Narciso Rodriguez and Miuccia Prada. In the November Esquire, Pilati is touted as ``one of the most innovative and creative minds in fashion.''

Pilati is the lesser known name, only recently garnering mainstream recognition. His impeccable résumé, however, tells the story of an ascent that was a long time in coming.

Born in the Italian fashion capital of Milan, Pilati studied environmental design before realizing his passion. He got hooked on fashion after working as an intern for designer Nino Cerruti. Shortly thereafter, he landed a job at a small Milanese velvet company in his 20s, studying textiles and selling fabric to major design houses in Europe.

By 1993, he was climbing the ladder first as a menswear assistant at Giorgio Armani, then at Prada in fabric research and development. In 1998, he became assistant designer for Miu Miu's men's and women's collections, Prada's more wearable sister label.

Ford then hired Pilati in 2000 as design director of YSL's ready-to-wear line. By 2004, Ford moved on and Pilati moved in as chief designer for all divisions of the YSL Rive Gauche label.

For his spring and resort 2006 collections, Pilati was inspired by Spanish culture, invoking the muses of Pablo Picasso for resort.

``I put myself in the position of a painter that is obsessed about a woman,'' Pilati says. ``I want to take portraits and portraits and portraits of her as Picasso did. Each work evolved as he painted them. . . . It's a mix of light and heavy, classic and flamboyant, folk and urban.''

Unlike Ford's overtly sexy glamour, Pilati takes cues from the house's ultra-feminine classics: high necklines, cinched waistlines and subtly sensual silhouettes.

Loyal followers like Marie Sparks-Allman, who have been wearing the brand for years, are eager to see how YSL will evolve with a fresh creative mind at work.

``I will be watching,'' says Sparks-Allman, 56, of Marin, at the San Francisco fashion show. ``I was uninterested when Ford was designing. It was too sexy. Too young. Too black and gray. It's exciting to see what Pilati is doing now. He's bringing elements back. I've always been drawn to Yves Saint Laurent's beautiful colors.''

Yves Saint Laurent, who retired in 2002 after 40 years in the business, opened his haute couture design house in Paris in 1961. He left behind a legacy of innovative Parisian style often influenced by artists such as Picasso and Mondrian.

While Laurent does not keep in touch with Ford or Pilati, Pilati says he will continue to uphold the values of the label, paying respect through his work to the man who created the house.

``Why? Because Mr. Laurent is still there and I have ethics, codes and principles,'' Pilati says.

Whether creating an extravagant pink ruffled chiffon evening gown or a trim, muted business suit, Pilati also keeps a specific vision of the woman he is designing for in mind.

``She comes from the French imagination -- the influence that Yves Saint Laurent had in 40 years of his work,'' Pilati says. ``She is very dynamic, fascinated and modern. Most women I know today are amazing -- they're wives, mothers, they have careers, they travel a lot, they are committed to their role, they are European, they are international. It's a lifestyle. But on top of all that, she's a woman who still finds the time to improve her personal style.''

[/SIZE]

Photo: NI Syndication

 

[taz]

another short one from men.style.com:

New designer Stefano Pilati explains where he's coming from and where YSL is going

Where do you find inspiration for your collections?
I start by choosing fabrics. My inspiration is very tactile. The research for the silhouette of a jacket, though, comes from my envisioning a man walking down the street and someone is staring at him.
How did you first get started in fashion?
I was surrounded by older sisters as a child growing up in Italy. They were really going for fashion, and it was full ’70s. I then worked some fashion shows in Milan at 16, as one of those guys who bring people to their seats.
Designers like Tom Ford, your former boss at YSL, and Hedi Slimane were heavily influenced by rock 'n' roll. Do you get a lot of inspiration from music?
I can guarantee my taste in music is completely different from Tom’s. Although his might be slightly closer to my own than Hedi’s, it is still very different. I’m more warm soul than new-wave or punk or rocker chicks.

—Christopher Bollen

 

[Pastry]

Hmm...props to Mr. Pilati for revivifing the brand of YSL, but I'm getting a whiff of arrogance from this man. He started out more humbly, but I suppose he's getting used to his succcess.

Also, I'm not saying confidence is bad. I mean, even the way Pilati gesticulates sometimes. It comes off as cocky. I hope I'm wrong.

 

[taz]

I get that whiff too Pastry, that pic say it all...it is so wired i don't know what's the point behind it???

i don't like his pose

 

[taz]

Today new article & pics from 'men.style.com':

Stefano Pilati on what’s sexy

Yves Saint Laurent’s new head designer on why you should expose your calves, listen to more R&B, and remember to just say no to yellow sports cars.

1. The biggest mistake you can make when dressing is to pretend you’re someone else. Proportions are everything. Don’t wear jackets with big shoulders if your shoulders are small. Don’t dress like a kid if you are old. Clothing should be a representation of a body, not a distortion of it. That said, I love women in men’s clothing.

2. Calves are a devastatingly undervalued body part. They are so beautiful. Women, at least, can wear skirts. But we have to wear our pants long, long, long. Why?

3. Men have a need for comfort that will always get in the way of their style. We are not used to suffering. Women will put on makeup in 90-degree weather; they will wear shoes that destroy their feet. We simply won’t do that. If it hurts, we just won’t put it on.

4. I find R&B music very sensual. It teaches men and women how to communicate sexually—all of a sudden he’s talking about his feelings and she’s talking about her feelings and then, well . . . it’s taught me a lot.

5. I don’t want to tell you that money will help you with women. I don’t want to tell you that money will help you with anything. I guess I’ll just say that it allows for a lot.

6. The sleek nineties aesthetic made sense to a lot of men. The black leather furniture, the fur blankets—it was easy. Now we have to work a little harder. The important thing is just to keep trying.

7. Your hands are a part of your body that you always show people. They are a big part of the first impression that you make. Get a manicure; it’s the respectful thing to do.

8. I don’t honestly think that there is a man alive who looks good with long hair.

9. Cars are like muscles. Now that I’m 40, I feel like I am ready to buy a vintage Ferrari. It’s a good and sporty car, but it’s also classy. I know there is ego involved, but it’s not like it’s totally vain. If I wanted a yellow Lamborghini, that would be different. That would be like having big muscles. I’d feel like a piece of meat.

.

 

[nqth]

Oh well, he prefers vintage Ferrari over yellow Lamborghini. Who cares:-P

 

[PrinceOfCats]

Could anyone bring themselves to buy clothes from a man who drove a yellow Lambo though, let's be serious...

 

[arlekindearrabal]

as i've said, he is even more obnoxious than ford...

 

[lost in kyoto]

i love him

 

[Allius]

Pilati is great.

I don't think Pilati is coming off as cocky. I believe that since Pilati is getting more noticed, people are starting to realize how confident he is.

 

[Blanche DuBois]

I think I kinda like him, he seems funny, and he has humour on his answers.

what I maybe don't like it's what he is doing at YSL, too repetitive for me...don't like the colour and the prints he use.

it's been 5 collections and I didn't like not even one outfit...

 

[BaroqueRockstar]

i love pilati, and i would love to have a vintage ferrari as well...

 

[kanita]

Why am I crazy attracted to this man?

 

[lemeray]

Johnny Depp looks good with long hair.

 

[BaroqueRockstar]

^olivier theyskens does too

 

[lost in kyoto]

Why am I crazy attracted to this man?

I am too, he's sexy

 

[eternitygoddess]

Pilati LOOKS like a designer.

 

[taz]

6. The sleek nineties aesthetic made sense to a lot of men. The black leather furniture, the fur blankets—it was easy. Now we have to work a little harder. The important thing is just to keep trying.

he means Tom Ford .

 

[taz]

I found this intresting interview with Pilati in V magazine, check the tatto:
enjoy

Stefano Pilati in Paris, October 2005

Reigning Yves Saint Laurent fashion designer Stefano Pilati has proven he knows a thing or two about the rules of style. One is that pants are often sexier than a g-string
It’s not uncommon for fashion designers to struggle for years to develop an identifiable signature. Once in a while, however, a newcomer appears on the scene with a perfectly honed aesthetic that encapsulates the fashion moment. In just four seasons, Stefano Pilati has created a look that not only reflects his own sense of style but also honors the considerable legacy of Yves Saint Laurent. “What Stefano did was very, very strong right out of the gate,” says Robert Burke, former fashion director of Bergdorf Goodman. “I think he is having enormous influence in regard to volume and silhouette—his clothes are quintessentially Saint Laurent, but they are also really modern. He made a distinctive departure from Tom Ford’s sexual imagery. Now, when you think of collections that are influential in the fashion world, Yves Saint Laurent with Stefano at the head comes to mind immediately.”
For his Fall 2006 presentation, Pilati went for tough-edged leather blouses, PVC trenches, mink bows, and formfitting metallic cocktail dresses. His rigorous pieces were toned down with tunics and tops that buttoned in the back, and tailored suits that brought to mind the sharp allure of Catherine Deneuve in the 1970s. At a time when fashion is embracing coolly sophisticated and sober dressing, Pilati’s strong-minded statements hit the nail square on the head. Armand Limnander
ARMAND LIMNANDER Tell me about your professional trajectory. I know you didn’t actually study fashion…
STEFANO PILATI I studied environmental design, but only because I was pressured by my family. They wanted me to do something that was a bit more safe and lucrative than fashion. But I hated it. I really didn’t belong, so I didn’t even finish. I had the opportunity to go work at Cerruti doing men’s clothes and fabric research. After that I had an internship at a big department store, did styling for magazines, then worked at Prada and Miu Miu before going with Tom Ford to Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent.
AL When you were appointed at Yves Saint Laurent, did you make a conscious decision to do something radically different from Ford?
SP I did what I felt was right for the moment. My work is a balance between what I love, what women actually need, and what the house stands for. Yves Saint Laurent has a great couture history so there are always very luxurious touches to make the clothes as personalized as possible. I was looking for a kind of pureness in the lines. And I wanted everything to be finished, with no raw edges.
AL How do you approach luxury?
SP A few years ago people were looking for luxury and status expressed in an overt way. Somehow that doesn’t feel right now. If you’re someone who can really follow fashion, you probably already live in a luxurious kind of atmosphere. I think these days the mood is a lot more subtle. You don’t necessarily want to wear a bright Swarovski dress when there are wars and disasters and so many things going on.
AL Where does that leave sexiness?
SP For me, sexiness is more about the imagination than what you can actually see. It’s about showing something that is not obvious, about how comfortable you are with your body even if it is not perfect, or how you move and speak, or what your interests are. I build a story around the attraction that I feel toward a man or a woman, and that for me is much more sexy than seeing that man or woman naked. Or half-naked. I prefer to imagine a man wearing a pair of pants without any underwear than the same man wearing a G-string. I’d rather imagine him changing into his swimsuit than to just see him in a bathing suit.
AL So you would never do a naked campaign like Yves Saint Laurent did in 1971 with Jeanloup Sieff?
SP There was a reason for that. Saint Laurent was doing a fragrance ad, so it made sense in that context. Plus, it was something revolutionary at the time. When I was posing for the portrait for this article, Mario Sorrenti asked me to take my shirt off and that was fine. He is an amazing photographer, so you have to go with his vision and let him do what he thinks will look best.
AL Is the new Yves Saint Laurent man pansexual? I know you have dated both men and women in the past.
SP [Laughs] Well, what can I say? Let’s say Yes. Sexuality is something that, thank God, is quite open. There are many things involved in love and attraction.
AL What do you love the most about your work?
SP It makes me dream. Beauty and elegance can be very positive forces if you embrace them in the right way. Fashion makes me feel alive and linked to the moment, because it is always evolving. But I hate fashion when it doesn’t make sense—when it’s too trendy, over-the-top, or overwhelming. I don’t like it when people embrace fashion only for the glamour of it. I think glamour is certainly there, but it’s really the shallow aspect of fashion. I’m more interested in fashion when it can say something sociologically.
AL What interests you outside of fashion?
SP Music. If there’s great music I just can’t stop dancing. I go crazy. I come from the ’80s, when there really were party people. As a fashion designer, I have always suffered when comparing myself to rock stars who can go onstage and scream a love song and give so much to the audience. I always think to myself, “With a dress you will never be able to communicate everything.” But I still try and express as much of myself as possible.
AL Would you ever consider launching your own label?
SP Yes and no. I’ve never had a big ego, and I don’t think designers should be celebrities. I mean, Rem Koolhaas does not do red carpets, so why should I? Red carpets are for actors. Still, it’s funny because nowadays you have to expose yourself and embrace this role. You know, it’s part of the deal. And then you start to listen to people talk about you and compliment you. And then all of a sudden, you think, But what if I did something…under my name? I think this is something that is purely ego-driven, so when that comes into my mind I just say to myself, “Shut up and go to work; this is your job.” Right now I think it would be a mistake if I were to start my own line.
AL You recently turned 40. Has Mama Pilati finally forgiven you for quitting environmental design?
SP [Laughs] Now she has. I mean, come on. But I have to say that she’s always been supportive. Everybody makes mistakes. She favored my father’s position rather than mine at one time. How can you resent that? It’s life. It’s the past and she’s happy now and so am I. No regrets.

Photography Mario Sorrenti

 

[ilaughead]

My work is a balance between what I love, what women actually need, and what the house stands for.

This is what every designer working for an existing house should strive for. It's a wonder that so few designers understand that.