Saint Laurent makes LA its home away from home

YSL, once the epitome of French good taste, is shifting the significance of its cultural home base to Los Angeles. Now called Saint Laurent and under the creative direction of Hedi Slimane, the company is to open its largest flagship to date on Beverly Hill's eponymous Rodeo Drive in September.

Three-storey boutique will cater to VIPSe

The three-storey, 10,000 square foot womenswear store will come with a top floor devoted to VIP dressing, complete

with a back entrance for celebrities. The brand's current LA flagship will be transformed into a 6,300 square foot men's store.

It is all part of a shift in focus toward LA's cultural importance, a strategy Slimane embarked upon two years ago when he took Saint Laurent's creative reins and moved its design atelier from Paris to West Hollywood, reports The Wall Street Journal

"Los Angeles is a key cultural, musical, cinematic, digital and technological observatory - a crucial place for culture and innovation, also under the influence of Asia," Saint Laurent chief executive Francesca Bellettini told the newspaper.

Yves Saint Laurent, who founded his namesake brand in 1960 with partner Pierre Berge, died in 2008.

Image: Saint Laurent AW14 campaign