Time for Heroes

Hedi Slimane’s archive photography decorates the Meet Me in the Bathroom documentary
By Alex James Taylor | Art | 13 October 2022

Taking us through the chaotic underground clubs, bars and backrooms of the early 2000’s NYC music scene, Lizzy Goodman’s 2017 book, Meet Me in the Bathroom, is one of the best documentations of this seminal sonic moment. Now, premiered at LFF last week, the book has been translated into a documentary directed by William Lovelace and Dylan Southern who have partnered with Hedi Slimane, utilising his rich archive of photography taken during this time.

The collaboration transposes still-life images taken by Slimane during the years 2001 – 2011 into limited-release concert posters to celebrate the film’s upcoming NYC and LA premieres.

A prolific chronicler of this period, while at the helm of Dior Homme, Slimane was redefining the menswear silhouette in tune with the generation of musicians he was documenting on stage by night. The Strokes, The Libertines, Franz Ferdinand, The Moldy Peaches, The Paddingtons and many more featured in Slimane’s iconic Rock Diary as he captured this chaotic and fervent moment.

Slimane has since continued his musical documentation in multiple forms, from taking portraits of icons such as Keith Richards, Courtney Love and Jack White, to continuously platforming young bands via commissioned runway soundtracks: from 00s UK bands The Rakes and Eight Legs in his Dior Homme days to more recent collaborations with Marlon Magnée and Sacha Got of La Femme, Sofia Bolt, and his most recent Celine menswear show set to the blistering anti-rhythm of New York outfit Gustaf.

Meet Me in the Bathroom premieres in LA on 27th October at The Fonda Theater and in New York on 30th October at Webster Hall, where there will be a special guest panel and the first-ever reunion by cult duo The Moldy Peaches.

GALLERYPhotography by Hedi Slimane


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