Yves Saint Laurent may have gotten his head start for his eponymous label in couture, but the thing which truly put YSL on the map was the full pret-a-porter line, and he was the first couturier to do so. With the pret-a-porter line and also having popularized the beatnik look, it seems as if Yves Saint Laurent is not about residing in the ivory towers of laboriously theatrical couture– and even in the hands of Creative Director Stefano Pilati today, YSL has been making their work more accessible while miraculously maintaining its spirit of luxury. Aside from the Manifesto tote bags which have been one of the most coveted freebies in the fashion world, YSL has also been dipping their toes (by now, immersing their entire feet, if that’s a viable metaphor) in the luxury sneaker market.

Mind you, the luxury sneaker market is quite a saturated one and there are countless designers who execute it to near flawless perfection. Maison Martin Margiela, Lanvin, Kris Van Assche are just a few to name amongst many, including Gucci who had taken to immersing itself with the downtown culture and enlisted the help of producer/musician/DJ Mark Ronson to expand their clientele.

Not that YSL’s sleek high top sneakers with a tendency for patented shine didn’t have its core followers and fans, those are sneakers that one can’t really go wrong with in terms of style. However, to stand out amongst the outstanding is a difficult task. For the coming Fall/Winter 2010 season, taking a different approach, YSL changes the way the brand is perceived and mixes French chic with a touch of New York City’s Lower East Side ruggedness. The campaign video for YSL Fall/Winter 2010 sneakers says a lot–nonchalant boys with cigarettes dangling from their finger tips in equally insouciant worn white-tees and tanks and jeans hang out on the sidewalk with YSL sneakers in various familiar shapes. The chukkah, the high-top are just two to name. With YSL, there is no compromise on material as we continue to spot brushed suede, supple leather, but all in tonal, monochromatic shades that speaks for subtle luxury.

Subtle luxury may sound appealing, but with many heading in the same direction, YSL aligns itself with a new point of view through a different demographic– the younger, more energetic crowd who probably don’t give two pence about the label and enjoy things for their intrinsic beings. The sneakers may not seem to say much beyond a trustworthy style, timelessness and versatility, but the video seems to convey a lot more.