Why Soho's YSL Store Won't Be Happening Anytime Soon

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Yesterday, we noted that the site of the incoming Yves Saint Laurent store on Mercer Street in Soho looks like a ghost town. Today's Women's Wear Daily explains why.

Since his appointment in March, new YSL designer Hedi Slimane has been working on a major makeover for the venerable brand. Now, it appears that he's even planning to change the name: Instead of Yves Saint Laurent, the company will be known as Saint Laurent Paris. The Shophound connects the dots: "Given that bit of news, we don't expect the Soho Saint Laurent shop to open before Slimane has a new store concept set—certainly not before next spring at the earliest."

WWD assures us that the classic YSL logo "will not disappear." In fact, Slimane's rebranding looks to the past as well as the future: He's hoping to tap into the sense of youth and modernity that Yves himself captured with his Saint Laurent Rive Gauche ready-to-wear line in 1966.
· Checking In on Soho's Luxe Boom: Tiffany, YSL, Balenciaga [Racked NY]
· Name Change Ahead at Yves Saint Laurent [WWD, subscription req'd]
· How's That Yves Saint Laurent Store Coming Along In Soho? [The Shophound]