Stefano Pilati

Stefano Pilati (born December 10, 1965, Milan, Italy) is an Italian fashion designer who was the creative director (2004–12) at the storied house of fashion, Yves Saint Laurent (YSL), and head of design (2013–16) at Ermenegildo Zegna.

As an unhappy youth pursuing a career as a land surveyor, Pilati found fulfillment in sketching clothing designs for his two sisters, gaining inspiration from their fashion magazines. At age 17 he became an apprentice to designer Nino Cerruti, and he later found employment at an Italian velvet manufacturer. From 1993 to 1995 he served as Giorgio Armani’s menswear assistant before joining the Prada Group (1995) as the head of research and development. In 1998 Pilati was promoted to assistant designer for Miu Miu’s men’s and women’s collections. He moved in 2000 to YSL (a subsidiary of Gucci, which was owned by conglomerate PPR) as design director under Tom Ford. Four years later, following Ford’s failed contract negotiations, Pilati replaced him—with the blessing of Yves Saint Laurent himself—as creative director of YSL’s ready-to-wear line, Rive Gauche.

In Pilati’s first spring/summer collection, in 2005, he led fashion’s new direction with his smart ruffled YSL minidress, suede stacked-heel loafers, and thigh-grazing bell-shaped “tulip bubble” skirts. Other signature items included his cloche-shaped jackets, Muse handbag (2005), and Muse Two bag (2008). Pilati managed to maintain the classic YSL sleek designs but also moved the brand forward to a more modern viewpoint. Even after Saint Laurent’s death in 2008, Pilati continued to create his own aesthetic while remaining grounded in Saint Laurent’s previous work. Pilati often brainstormed his own designs and then combed the YSL vaults searching for samples of Saint Laurent’s work that would validate his own choices.

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In 2008 Pilati unveiled his design for YSL chic boutiques. His environmentally friendly space, which he called “the opium experience,” featured reddish amber lacquer applied to the ceiling and wall panels. The rich hue was reminiscent of the shade used in the packaging of YSL’s perfume Opium. The design was used in several retail stores.

Despite having infused new life into the struggling brand and increased profitability—Pilati had turned an annual loss of some $100 million in 2004 into a profit of about $15 million in 2011—he had long been the subject of rumours foretelling his imminent forced departure. In March 2012 he left YSL after showing his fall/winter collection. Later that year he was named head of design at Ermenegildo Zegna, an Italian house known for menswear, and creative director of its women’s collection, Agnona; he officially assumed both positions in 2013. His designs earned widespread praise, and he was credited with raising the profile of the house. However, Pilati stepped down from the Agnona post in 2015, and the following year he left Ermenegildo Zegna.

Pilati subsequently created his own line, Random Identities, which he launched on Instagram in 2017. He described the clothing as “genderless and seasonless.”