Almine Rech Explains Hedi Slimane

For the better part of this century, I’ve been following Hedi Slimane – from Saint Laurent to Dior, from Paris to Berlin, from art gallery to art gallery. But it was not until today, when I visited the Galerie Almine Rech in the Marais, that I had a watershed moment.

My appointment with gallery owner, Mme. Rech, had been set up by Hedi’s PR agent in hopes that she could talk to me about his art (Hedi himself had the idea). Arriving an hour late, after having scoured the 13th Arrondissement only to find out the Galerie had moved in early September to the new location on Rue de Saintonge, Mme. Rech received me in her office on the second floor.

In the course of the next half hour, I learned more about Hedi’s work, more about art history, and more about the hopes and aspirations of a new generation, than I could have ever imagined. She literally drew all the dots together.

The result will be an extensive article on the Art of Hedi Slimane – to appear soon on these pages. Stay tuned…

– Timothy Hagy