Hedi Slimane is a French fashion designer, photographer and visual artist who has worked for both Yves Saint Laurent and Dior. He is known for his slim, sleek aesthetic and "skank chic" style.
Slimane was heavily influenced by the British indie-rock scene, and by The Libertines in particular [3]. His fascination with the band lead him to spend a year following and photographing them. Recalling this, Alan McGee remarked to New Yorker magazine that "at first we thought, here's some weird French bloke taking photographs, but Hedi's very nice and very sweet." This experience was reflected in his fashion shows, in which, as McGee noted, "every ****ing model looked like a Libertine".
In addition to having designed for both Peter Doherty and Carl Barat, Slimane has produced numerous works directly inspired by the Libertines. The most notable of these was the book London: Birth of a Cult, published in 2005, which was comprised of a collection of photographs documenting the life of Peter Doherty both during his time in the Libertines and with Babyshambles.
Slimane's other Libertines-inspired work include the art installations "As Tears Go By" and "Portrait of a Defeated Band" which were displayed in the exhibition As Tears Go By at the Galerie Almine Rech in Paris in January and February of 2006. The installations included wall hangings of photographs of stage invasions and fans emblazoned with song titles, while at the center of the room was a sculpture of two microphones, each encased in a Perspex box and lying apart, their connected cords chaotically intertwined.
NameHedi Slimane
