Showcasing such rock 'n' roll legends as Keith Richards and Lou Reed (photographed shortly before his death), Sonic—a retrospective exhibition of Hedi Slimane's photographs—will be on display in Paris, France starting this month. The show features intimate black-and-white portraits from the music scene taken over the past 15 years in London, New York, and California.
Slimane began his career designing menswear for Yves Saint Laurent in 1996, before helming Dior Homme in his signature skinny suit. In 2007, he left Dior and returned to photography. Since then, Slimane has spent years documenting the independent music world from Berlin to Los Angeles in textured black-and-white images like those of former Girls frontman Chris Owens (seen in the slideshow above, and first seen in print in 7x7's 2012 Fall Fashion issue).
After a five-year hiatus from fashion, Slimane returned to Saint Laurent and brought the rebellious, ineffable cool of rock with him to the high-fashion universe. Slimane's runway shows have included looks inspired by grunge kids, punks, and rockabillys, all accompanied by soundtracks from his favorite garage and electronic bands. His self-shot campaigns feature the likes of Courtney Love, Marilyn Manson, and Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon.
Sonic opens at Paris' Fondation Pierre Bergé–Yves Saint Laurent and will also include a video documentary installation that draws parallels between the London scene 2003-2007 and the current scene in California.
Hedi Slimane - Sonic at the Fondation Pierre Bergé-Yves Saint Laurent, September 18, 2014 to January 11, 2015.
