Yves Saint Laurent announce name change

In breaking news, it’s been confirmed that new Yves Saint Laurent creative director Hedi Slimane is planning to change the brand’s name to Saint Laurent Paris.

Slimane, who joined the house just last year, is reportedly subjecting the fashion label to an “extensive makeover”, which includes the name change.

While the reasoning behind the variation has not been officially announced, it’s thought Slimane is looking to invigorate the brand, which was founded by Yves Saint Laurent in the 1960s.

“Slimane wants to restore (YSL) to its young, modern sensibilities which led to the launch of the Saint Laurent Rive Gauche ready-to-wear collection in 1996,” explains MPD.

The rebranding will be rolled out over the next several months and is expected to be applied by the time Slimane’s spring summer 2013 womenswear collection reaches stores, reports WWD. However, the logo is expected to remain the same.

Whatever the case, the reaction to the name change on social media has been strong to say the least.

“Thumbs down I’m afraid,” tweeted @kylieinthecity. “You don't change a classic name like that. Would anyone think of changing Chanel?” User @rodd agreed with the sentiment, simply saying, “Dumber than new Coke!” while ‏@YvonneJanusch suggested the name might be better suited to a speciality range.

What are your thoughts?