Hedi Slimane—the French designer who put the “slim” in Dior menswear, revamping Dior Homme in recent years—was named creative director of Yves Saint Laurent. His directive: Modernize YSL. And in his first year he whipped up a froth of controversy, headlines—and retail sales. He dropped the “Y” from the venerable YSL logo, renaming the brand Saint Laurent, and outraging purists. He earned middling reviews for his first collection, particularly from New York Times critic Cathy Horyn; and then subsequently banned her from future shows.  

So it was with breathless excitement that fashionistas welcomed the opening of the new Saint Laurent flagship in SoHo. It’s located on Greene Street, just south of Spring, one of the few truly historic-looking streets left in Manhattan, with centuries-old cobblestones flanked by cast-iron loft spaces that drew artists here in the 1960s. Inside, you’ll find 4,000 square feet of sleek Parisian chic designed by Slimane himself. Tall white pillars, matte white marble backdrops, a smooth concrete floor, and glass skylight dazzle the eye—if you can see past the rows of stilettos, booties, must-have handbags, and butter-soft leather.

Go ahead: try on that ’60s-ish black leather shift dress ($2,690) or men’s red wool dinner jacket with leather studded lapels ($3,390), if only to get a gander at the VIP dressing room—with mirrors that reflect all the way round. 

As for the controversy? No worries—the name change is no different than other major French couture houses, like the House of Coco Chanel, or House of Christian Dior, which eventually became Chanel and Dior. And those mediocre reviews? Customers don’t seem to care—Slimane’s collections have been selling. And that’s what counts. —Joseph V. Amodio