Revisiting the YSL Muse II by Stefano Pilati

In 1998, Stefano Pilati was quietly making a name for himself while working under Miuccia Prada as an assistant designer at Miu Miu. By the year 2000, the current creative director for Yves Saint Laurent, Tom Ford, personally requested that he join the house as the design director of accessories. After four years of working by Tom Ford’s side, Pilati was named his successor, stepping into the role of Creative Director at Yves Saint Laurent. His tenure would go on to last eight years, from 2004 to 2012, during which he designed some of the most recognizable and well-loved bags of the mid to late 2000s, including the Muse II.

Released as part of the YSL Spring/Summer 2008 collection, the Muse 2’s subsequent campaign featured supermodel Kate Moss outside a storefront modelling the blue crocodile variation of the bag. The campaign was shot by the Dutch photography duo and married couple Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, who were well-established for their editorial campaigns, often featured in Vogue. This campaign was first seen in the February 2008 issue, seen below.

Kate Moss for YSL Spring/Summer 2008, photographed by Inez & Vinoodh.

Structurally and stylistically, the Muse II can be recognized alongside other major bags like the Mulberry Piccadilly and the Hermès Kelly, particularly in its top-handle design and closure. Recently, Balenciaga released a similar silhouette with Demna's 2024 Rodeo Bag featuring the same single top-handle and front fold-over panel closure.

Mulberry Piccadilly

Hermès Kelly

Balenciaga Rodeo

The Fall/Winter 2008 campaign featured Naomi Campbell once again, photographed by the duo Inez & Vinoodh, first seen in the August 2008 issue of Vogue.

Naomi Campbell for Yves Saint Laurent Fall/Winter 2008, photographed by Inez & Vinoodh.

While the Muse 2 may not have generated as much of an impact as other purses by the house, to me, it's one of the most underrated. Its shape is the perfect everyday bag that lends to elevated yet casual wear. In addition to these major campaigns, it has been photographed with Jessica Alba, Claudia Schiffer, and Kim Kardashian, amongst others.

Jessica Alba

Claudia Schiffer

Kim Kardashian

Dana Lee wearing the Muse II, sourced from our shop.