Hedi Slimane draws inspiration from psych rock music for his latest fashion collection. He focuses on themes from the 1960s psychedelic music scene, incorporating checkered prints, rich embroidery, military-inspired jackets, and cowboy boots. Models wear flowing boho-rock outfits resembling attendees of a psychedelic music festival, featuring paisley patterns, denim, glittering stars, and sleek fur accents. Slimane is known for sourcing original soundtracks from bands in the music genres inspiring his designs.

1. 62 ELLE.MY
Hedi Slimane steals the hearts of fashion girls each year.
This season is no different as he draws inspiration from his
oldest muse — music. By Samantha Joseph
SLIMANE’S
psych rock
EXPLORATION
Stellar embroidery over
a sheer caftan gives
a psychedelic lightness
M
usicandfashionhavealwayshadanintimaterelationship,
entwining their creative arms around each other in a kind
of genius embrace. This union sometimes births entire
waves of young slender neophytes clothing themselves
in tattered jeans and flannel shirts (à la the reign of
Kurt Cobain) or black skinnies and a bad attitude (circa
Pete Doherty). And then there are times when a designer draws out
the essence of a music scene and sends it down a runway.
A single musician can inspire multiple fashion house
showings. The iconic stylings of David Bowie have been one of
the longest-running fashion statements, even as the man himself
fades from public view. Jean Paul Gaultier referenced Bowie in
his S/S ’13 show and, more recently, Raf Simons did the same for
Dior’s S/S ’15 Couture show. More often, though, fashion and music
inspire each other.
There’s something almost magical about the fashion–music
combination. It draws creativity from creativity, interpreting and
reinterpreting emotions, atmospheres, sounds and colours, before it
finally settles into something that’s practically solid but still infinitely
mutable. When fashion draws from music, it captures an idea and
presents it in the material world.
Vivienne Westwood’s punk influence fed off the raucous music
and the chaos and energy of the Sex Pistols, who in turn fed off
Westwood and her hip clothing store, Sex, feeding the desires of
a whole generation’s worth of sloe-eyed, spiky-haired rebels
who listened to The Clash and believed they were different from
ELLE. MY 63
STYLEFEATURE
every other generation that had dared to don the outfits
of their musical spirit animals.
Hedi Slimane is the maestro of drawing rock chic
sensibilities for fashion from the senses of music. He’s
thrilling, he’s scandalising, he’s divisive and, most of all,
he’s inspired. A creature of many worlds, the designer has
consistently combined his love of music and musicians with his
talent for photography and creative directing at Saint Laurent.
Slimane’s first few collections at Saint Laurent debuted to a storm
ofhorrifiedcriticsandpleasedretailers.Castingasidetheexpectations
of a Paris runway, he went back to the ’60s and presented dirty rock
and grunge-inspired collections. Slimane’s Saint Laurent looks were
first seen as imminently ‘disrespectful’, but have now become some
of the most anticipated designs of the season.
Further constructing his work around music, the controversial
designer is known for sourcing his own soundtrack to runway
shows, commissioning musicians, often members of the music scene
he’s pulling inspiration from that season, to write 15-minute pieces.
Slimane’s S/S ’15 show had models stomp down the runway to the
sounds of Bright Day Haze by the Mystic Braves, a rising psych rock
band from Slimane’s inspiration capital — California.
Psych rock is, in fact, the running thread through both Slimane’s
photography exhibition, Sonic, at the Fondation Pierre Bergé-Yves
Saint Laurent in Paris and his latest pieces. Several inspirations
inform the looks in the latter, with psych rock lending chequers,
florals and the richness of embroidery, Sergeant Pepper contributing
boxy military jackets with gold braid and Western and stagewear
themes bringing in cowboy boots and leather.
Louche, long-fringed girls slouch about in boho-rock get-
ups, their flowing forms belted with studded leather, almost
indistinguishable from attendees of a psychedelic ’60s music festival.
Paisley patterns and denim make multiple appearances, and glittery
shooting stars grace everything from capes to blouses and dresses.
Excess is hinted at with sleek fur on clutches and vests, embroidered
jackets and miniskirts, velour pants tucked into primal leather boots
and innocent-looking lace and crochet dresses.
The designer’s pieces are arresting and surprising, a heady
concoction of high fashion and cult music. We should know by now
not to expect anything less from Slimane. 
“Hedi Slimane is the maestro of
drawing rock chic sensibilities for
fashion from the senses of music.”
Boots,
RM4,786
> Necklace,
RM9,599
A broderie anglaise blouse
and prime necklaces for
the folkloric hippie
A gypsy’s essentials: the peasant
top and wide-brim hat
The leather biker jacket —
essential to any rock icon
Stacks of memorable
accessories and a fringe
bag complete a look
< Earrings,
RM1,613
PHOTOGRAPHY:HEDISLIMANE