Geek chic!

CEO of Saint Lauren, Paul Deneve has caused a stir by announcing he is leaving the fashion world in favour of technology super brand Apple. He is due to move to Cupertino, California to work on "special projects" for Apple, reporting directly to the brands CEO, Tim Cook.

The move follows speculation that Apple is to launch an 'i-watch' the new must-have product following the success of the i-phone and i-pad. Apparently Deneve has been called in to help the brand push the boundaries of fashion and technology with the wearable technology. Deneve is a marketing and brand image expert and Apple believe with him on board they could create a product that could rival high-end brands like Rolex. I think the watch could be the new must-have geek gadget but I don't personally think it will be a success in the fashion stakes. I think previous attempts to combine technology with fashion have flopped. There was a mobile phone out years ago that came with a bracelet that was connected to the phone. I'm also having flash backs of a line of belts that came out that had an LED screen, and you could write a message across..not surprisingly neither of these products really took off, so I'm quite interested to see what the response will be to the i-watch,and what Deneve's "special projects" actually entail.

Saint Laurent Paris

Since arriving at Saint Laurent last year, Slimane has tried to revamp the brand by dropping the 'Yves', upping the grunge, and continuing the brands ties with music. He has already featured Beck and Christopher Owens in campaigns and has recently brought out the new Saint laurent music campaign, which I'm Loving!

The series of portraits feature four musicians,mainly from the 90's, including Marilyn Manson and Courtney Love as part of the Saint Laurent music project.

The images,shot by creative director Hedi Slimane, are in black and white and styled by the musicians themselves. The Campaign is for Autumn/Winter 2013 and has Slimane's signature grungy style. 
This is not the first time the brand has collaborated with rock, the brand dressed Mick and Bianca Jagger for their wedding in the 70's, and Slimane has clothed musicians such as David Bowie, The Libertines and The Kills.

Does French fashion have to originate in France?

 French fashion is recognised as classic and chic. A reason people buy from french brands is to buy into this authentic timeless style. But does French fashion have to originate in France?

Phoebe Philo who agreed to take on the job of creative director at Celine in 2008, provided that London would be the base for herself and the design team instead of Paris, brought the studio to England to stay close to her family,and commutes to french headquarters in Paris regularly. Philo believes there's something rich about the combination of London and Paris and insists one wouldn't work without the other. 

Creative director of Yves Saint Laurent, Hedi Slimane renamed the fashion house and relocated headquarters to Los Angelos, but will this change the French feel of the brand? I think it will, you only have to look at the A/W 2013 Saint Laurent collection  that it overtly california-grunge inspired. It has been said Hedi will be Hedi and Saint Laurent will be inspired by his love affair with California and it's rock n' roll subculture. So maybe French fashion does have to originate in France as I think your surroundings will influence your designs and the look of the brand.