YSL Manifestos for the Masses: LA Sightings

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• You'd smile like this, too, if you were as popular as they were
• A happy camper at Hollywood and Highland. Note the stormtrooper behind her.
• Another good-looking team spreading the Manifesto
• The cover
• This guy was our favorite thing on our on personal YSL odyssey. Here's some good advice: don't depend on publicists to tell you everything!
• WANT
• Another Manifesto image

Shortly after 8am Saturday morning, the emails and text messages started rolling in, asking, "When are the YSL Manifestos going to be distributed?" We had wondered the same thing: even though it's an ultra-limited edition and the first time it's been done in LA, we're not hardcore enough that we're willing to spend a whole day in a holding pattern, so we went on about our business. We felt bad for a couple of gals we knew who were patiently stalking the YSL boutique -- including one who'd been there for an hour and a half before it even opened, so we decided to call and find out if they knew anything. A very impatient sounding salesgirl directed us to check Facebook. Voila!

The Manifestos were being distributed at even more locations than our publicist contact said: as far east as the Hollywood Blvd. Walk of Fame, all the way to the Venice Boardwalk and Santa Monica Pier, with additional rendezvous points at the Standard in West Hollywood, the Century City Mall, Robertson Blvd., Abbot Kinney, and a few other places. The Facebook listing even gave the exact distribution times! Miraculous.

At this point, we pretty much had NO EXCUSE not to check it out -- with minimal traffic at 10:30am on Saturday morning, we made it to the Hollywood and Las Palmas area in less than 10 minutes. The only problem is, they weren't exactly at Hollywood and Las Palmas; they were at the Hollywood and Highland shopping center. We found the team right at 11'oclock, and scored the last bag. (We wonder if any of the fake superheros scored totes.) We realize that part of the point was to get the package into the hands of people who had no previous interactions with the YSL brand, but it seems like there were more clueless tourists walking around with the totes than actual fashion fans.

Everyone else we talked to reported a trouble-free transaction. One pal said she breezed right up to the team on Robertson and nabbed a tote; two other ladies (including the one who stoically waited out front of the store on Rodeo, then got bad information and spent a couple of hours trolling at the Grove) scored their prizes at the Century City Shopping Mall. We did learn from a few anguished tipsters that a few locations ran out prematurely, but it wasn't quite the bedlam we expected after reading Racked NY's reports from previous outings.

In case you couldn't find one, or the team ran out before you got yours: don't feel too bad, the bag isn't exactly the highest quality. In fact, the canvas is so thin it's practically see through. They probably spent at least as much money printing the manifeso -- oversized, gorgeous, with a gold-stamped logo on a thick black paper cover. Of course, you can't exactly sling that over your shoulder and parade it down the street. But you can buy one on eBay, if you're really desperate. Looks like Buy It Nows are starting at $65. Crappy opportunists! (Ruth Estrada contributed to this report.)
· Yves Saint Laurent [Official Site]
· Previous YSL Manifesto Coverage [Racked LA]
· YSL Manifesto Coverage [Racked NY]