Saint Laurent's Secret To Success, Revealed

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A couple weeks back, Kering's earnings reports let the world in on a not-so-secret secret: Hedi Slimane is fucking killing it. Since he came aboard, Saint Laurent's revenue has doubled in just three years. The Business of Fashion got all business-y and fashoin-y as they tend to do and spoke to some insiders from big retailers to ask them why SLP has grown so much in just a few years. What they said wasn't too surprising, but how Hedi has turned the brand into a true fashion powerhouse has really become a big story.

There are a couple prongs to the SLP business model that have made it so strong, but mainly it's all about how their products appeal to non-fashion people. That's a huge piece of the puzzle. The demographics that like SLP clothing are much more than those reading blogs everyday. Because of this, SLP has created a "permanent" collection of staples—biker jackets, trenches, jeans, duffel coats, sweatshirts, hoodies, sneakers—that release every season that complement the seasonal introductions from the runway. Those are all hugely popular pieces, but they pale in comparison to the leather goods and shoes portion of the business, which makes up a whopping TWO-THIRDS of SLP's entire business. The hugely successful jodhpur boots are more than just dope, they're driving business, despite their $1,000+ price tag.

SLP is expensive, but it has also positioned itself as more affordable than much of its competition, like Givenchy, Luis Vuitton and Bottega Veneta, which brings in younger customers. Seriously, how many rich kids have you seen in SLPs recently? More than I'm comfortable with, to be honest, as it clearly illustrates our classist divide in footwear form *Kanye voice*, not to mention it makes me feel like shit because I'm broke as fuck.

TL;DR? Hedi has created a year-round product catalog that is both a highly desirable and accessible, relatively speaking. That means more people are buying into SLP. Good Job, Hedi. I'd buy a pair of $1,300 boots immediately if I could.

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