This document outlines the brand DNA of Yves Saint Laurent, including both verbal and non-verbal elements. It describes the brand as iconic, sharp, seductive, art deco, rock-n-roll inspired, emphasizing shoulders and timeless quality. Key non-verbal aspects are leather goods, the bow logo, shininess, and black and white color palette. The document suggests areas for the brand to improve its social media presence and launch an app, and proposes exploring marble prints or furniture extensions that build on the luxury materials associated with the YSL brand.

1. Yves Saint Laurent
Paris

2. Brand DNA

3. Brand verbal DNA
1. Iconic
2. Sharp outline
3. Seductive patch
4. Art deco
5. Rock’n’roll
6. Shoulder-fetish
7. Timeless
8. Spotlight protection
9. Parisian to bone

4. Iconic
By the word Icon of course I
mean the brand founder Yves
Saint Laurent. An exquisite
designer with dazzling career
and enormous talent, but a very
troubled man. Crumbled with his
addiction to drugs and his
muses. Looking closely at the
rebellious collections of the
current creative director ,I see a
desire to incorporate into Yves
twisted mind.

5. Sharp outline
YSL is all about masculine
aesthetics. Colors are sharply
outlined, expressive and rather
dark. Campaigns have
minimalistic graphics. So have
the boutiques

6. Seductive patch
From the beginning
of the brand YSL
was presenting
courageous and
controversial
designs. Now Hedi
Slimane is following
his predecessor
promoting the
nudity not only in his
work but also as a
minimalism in stores
and campaigns

7. Art deco
background
Often Yves Saint Laurent himself
paid tribute to artists like for
example Piet Mondrian.
Nowadays repeatedly campaign
shoots, boutiques and runways
take place in parisian
tenements, thereby referring to
classical architecture

8. Rock’n’roll
Saint Laurent involvement with
music goes were beyond trend
setting. Creative director, Hedi
Slimane not only inspires by
rock, but also collaborates with
singers, which can sometimes
lead to controversy. Social
media content is basically only
about videos with clothes more
as a background to the
storytelling

9. Shoulder-fetish
Emphasizing the shoulder part
and underling the waist is very
characteristic and crucial in
brand designs. Looking way
back to the beginning of YSL we
can see clearly the recurrent
and coherent silhouette the
creative directors want to
approach

10. Timeless
The mansion has always
concentrated on quality, not
quantity. . Life lasting products
are their main domain. So as the
solid-built flagship stores
Fashion fades, but style is eternal
-Yves Saint Laurent

11. Spotlight protection
Brand essential product are shades and hats
with wide brims. Nothing adds more chicness
like a good accessorize.

12. Parisian to
bone
Saint Laurent is valued origin
combined with modernity. The marble
boutique interior is mixed with the
parisian tenements. Big part of most
recent designs resemble old ideas
used by the brand founder. Over the
years, even though the office have
moved to LA,the brand is coherent
with it’s desired client-parisians. Of
course with the years passing by, the
parisians have changed, but the
mansion keeps up with them. The
effortless look, typical for the parisian
shows off in designs, campaigns and
on runways

13. Brand non verbal DNA
1. Leather
2. The bow
3. Shininess
4. Black and white
5. Logo mania

14. Leather
This texture fulfills the
rock image of the
brand. Also symbolizes
good quality and is
being used for all
leather goods including
iconic bags

15. The bow
The most distinguishable sign off
all, which sends the message to
the customer. Young and rebel
yet always classy.

16. Shininess
Word shiny in case of Saint
Laurent stands for four things:
1. Beauty products
2. Silk materials
3. Blinding from logos’
goldenness
4. Flagship stores interior details

17. Black&white
The newest creative director has
limited color pallet. Basically
most of the pieces are
black&white with some red and
leo print if it’s a "lucky season".
The reason of such small shade
diversity is a comeback to more
masculine and strong look. Hedi
Slimane keeps everything
coherent and consistent his
shoots, interior.

18. Logo mania
Most off the brands have been
forced to keep up with the
market by showing off its self.
Naturally, the logo mania caught
up subtly this brand as well.

19. Genius loci

20. PARIS

21. Trends approachable
for the brand

22. Multi-structurality
Lately a interior designer have
shown me the new trend,
personally, I find inspiring.
Placing different structures,
patterns and textures next to
each other results in elegance,
modernity and cleanness, very
YSl in my opinion

23. Improvements

24. Social media
YSL Instagram is not
established enough.
The brand in my
opinion should
activate on various
kinds of social
media . YSL beauty
has many apps and
it’s being in the
internet is way more
developed. Maybe
the mansion should
consider an app, as
many customers
are starting to
purchase online.

25. Improvement of social
media (suggestions)
• standardization of color palette (if black&white ,
stick to it)
• well-thought-out content
• regular motion on social media
• launching an app

26. Ideas for the future

27. Marble
I relish the way
Saint Laurent used
and mixes marble
and leather
together. Maybe
the brand should
consider brand
extension
(furnitures,
stationery) or
exploit marble print
as a pattern

28. Dominika Korcz