In a nutshell: NY Times fashion critic Cathy Horyn didn’t get invited to the Saint Laurent show held this week during Paris Fashion Week, subsequently she blew up the situation in her column, and then proceeded to blast the collection down to the ground. Apparently there is old beef between Horyn and newly-installed Saint Laurent designer, Hedi Sliman, so the lack of invite was not accidental. Slimane today responded with a Twitter letter (shown above) addressing Horyn. It reads:

Miss Horyn is a schoolyard bully and also a little bit of a stand-up comedian.
Insiders argue she is an average writer, and a bit provincial, but I disagree, she did some great things. Her biggest achievement so far is a book about Bill Blass, that I haven’t read. It might be terrific, and I’ll be happy to recommend it, if it helps the sales.
I also often hear that her sense of style is seriously challenged, providing that she is meant to be an authority in the village. This is totally irrelevant, no one has ever asked for her to be an inspiration to others after all, and likely it would never happen anyway.
Besides, and amusingly, her agenda is seriously thick and perfectly predictable. She is a woman on a mission, and this season she is on fire.
Miss Horyn also works for the New York Times, as everyone knows, where conflicts of interest might seem a little out of place and where being partial, or too friendly with the locals might not be an option.
In conclusion, and as far as I’m concerned, she will never get a seat at Saint Laurent, but might get 2 for 1 at Dior. She should rejoice. I don’t mind critics, but they have to come from a fashion critic, not a publicist in disguise. I am quite mesmerized she did get away with it for so many years.
And by the way come to visit our new website at ysl.com.
Sincerely yours.

And now Horyn has volleyed back, saying, “It’s just silly nonsense.” Well now that’s what you say! On the one hand I’m clapping my hands with glee as I plow through the popcorn, but on the other I’m thinking despite the old adage about any publicity, this is not a good look for either party.

My first response when I saw Balmain’s Spring/Summer 2011 images from Paris Fashion Week was surprise, as in, wow, they’re going there again?? And at the prices they charge? But my opinion was mild compared to one of the industry’s fiercest critics, Cathy Horyn, whose review I just read on Racked:

“The clothes were great for showing off the models’ long bodies, and so will produce sexy photographs, but punk is now a style cliché. That Balmain is one of the most expensive labels, with a plain undershirt (without holes) costing around $450, makes the notion of a safety-pinned jacket something of a joke—and not even a very clever one.”

Some of the garments Balmain showed are obviously gorgeous and totally covetable (lush punk if you will), however, ever since the appearance on the scene of “that” tee shirt, the recipe for a backlash began to be mixed and this seemingly lazy runway was the final ingredient. How far the ripples extend from this ugly little moment is always hard to say without an inside track.

New York Times’ Cathy Horyn’s bread and butter has always been her willingness to go there when it comes to critiquing the fashion industry. It wouldn’t be THAT big of a deal except of course that we’re talking about fashion, which is notoriously all kissy-kissy to your face, but the meanest industry in all the land the very second you turn your back. So I guess I shouldn’t be shocked that Cathy did (a long overdue) scathing attack of Vogue, except that it IS Vogue for crissakes and at one point she is gonna have to face La Diabla herself, Anna Wintour, who everyone knows still wears fur cuz it’s great for concealing various and sundry razor blades and extra long knives.

Here’s one juicy excerpt (from an article that ran on New Year’s Eve–way to bury the story, oh-great-ballsy editors of the Times!):

Hat tip: NY Magazine, which, what the heck happened over there? Suddenly they’re posting more than twice a week and the tone is, ummm, I don’t a tad more fashion-industry-esque?