Calling all fashion-philes in New York, Paris, London, Milan, Tokyo and Hong Kong: Take to the streets on September 6th, and you might get a free YSL totebag.
Yves Saint Laurent designer Stefano Pilati's third "Manifesto" will be widely distributed on this day (over half a million copies), but for the first time, the first 5,000 passers-by in each city will score a limited edition cotton tote designed by Pilati.
Destined to replace the "I'm Not A Plastic Bag" grocery tote as the ultimate green-chic It-Bag (sorry, Anya), Pilati's Marxist approach to the dissemination of design turns the notion of luxury labels on its head -- an irony not lost on the designer, who chose to literally turn the YSL logo on its head.
What, you may ask, exactly is this Manifesto? Here's your answer, straight from the press release:
"This democratic revelation of Stefano Pilati’s fashion message for
Yves Saint Laurent, coupled with a traditional print campaign,
continues a multidimensional platform for communication that began two
seasons ago, and simultaneously forwards a legacy of broadening the
world of fashion and taking it to the street."
Shame on everyone out there who considers fashion mere frippery!
The Manifesto features Naomi Campbell decked out in the new Fall/Winter collection, shot by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin. A short behind-the-scenes film and the Manifesto images will debut exclusively on ysl.com on the same day.
Here, an exclusive sneak-peek of Naomi in action...
P.S.
For those of you in NYC, please be reminded (warned?) that the international fashion community will have descended upon our fair city for New York Fashion Week...those bags are going to go FAST. Hmmm, any guesses as to where those Manifestos will be distributed? Perhaps near Bryant Park??
