BE MY VALENTINE

YSL skips roses and chocolates in favor of free gear this season.

Something exciting is coming to the streets of Paris, New York, London, Milan, Tokyo, and Hong Kong this Valentine's Day. It won't involve chocolate, flowers, or boyfriends, but it will definitely set your heart aflutter.

Whether you have a date or not, you can look forward to February 14th because YSL is releasing its fourth manifesto, featuring Claudia Schiffer in photos by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin. The storied fashion label will take to the streets and give away 2, 000 of the landmark totes and booklets in each city, while simultaneously launching the promotional video on www.ysl.com. And for an added twist, the tote will be equipped with a custom USB key uploaded with the manifesto video and images. It is all a part of the democratic vision that YSL's Stefano Pilati dreamed up when he first launched the concept in fall ’07.

Past campaigns have featured Gisele Bundchen, Naomi Campbell, and Kate Moss (supermodels, super-comebacks?), as well as some very experimental cinematography. This season's shoot is no different, with a stark set in and around the Hollywood Hills and Schiffer acting like the leading lady of an old foreign film.

It’s stunning, sexy, and exactly Valentine’s Day should be about (rather than, say, cheesy Hallmark cards). In fact, the only thing tougher than nabbing one of these pieces is finding “that special someone”. We’d take designer goods over true love any day.
AISHA ATTACK



This story was published on February 3, 2009.