Designer Hedi Slimane has made a career out of doing things his own way. From his Dior Homme days, when he was widely credited with creating the ultra-slim suiting that single-handedly changed the way men dress, to the complete overhaul of Saint Laurent he put in motion upon signing as Creative Director there in 2012, he’s been unapologetic about executing his singular vision. This extends to his own personal visibility in the press.

While his peers like Riccardo Tisci at Givenchy and Balmain’s Olivier Rousteing document their every move on Instagram and frequently posing alongside models and celebrities in magazine spreads, Slimane has kept his public persona largely quiet. Which is one of the reasons why his candid and in-depth Q+A with Dirk Standen for Yahoo! Style is all the more notable.

The interview, which apparently took Standen three years to secure, is ostensibly timed to the reintroduction of Saint Laurent couture that’s being ushered in with a new Paris HQ, but covers a wide range of topics, resulting in one of the most fully-formed sketches of the mind of the designer to date. From childhood bullying to the endless supply of inspiration he finds in music, Slimane was open and forthcoming, traits that fly in the face of his reputation that, however unfairly, typically paints him as something of a controlling enfant terrible.

Befitting of the platform, Standen also talks to Slimane about his feelings on fashion in the internet age.

When asked about the state of fashion journalism, Slimane said, “It has certainly been challenged by the digital revolution, just like the rest of the fashion industry. I have always been comfortable with the Internet, and was interested by the idea it was giving new means to speak your voice. There is sometimes a risk with immediacy, and collateral damage with the news race. The lack of fact checking will certainly improve in the future.”

He continued: “I see interesting writers appearing all the time. I like the concept of blogs, and the multiplicity of voices, the global discussion. The way it has forced the establishment to change its perspective. The evolution is exciting, even if designers end up extremely exposed, always on the hot seat. There is naturally the question of the independence of the blogs, who finances them, are they free from the power of advertising, or any other sort of conflicting situation. Overall the wide range of voices allows for a fresh perspective.”

A true digital adopter, Slimane also confessed to reading newspapers online every day.

Regarding social media, Slimane – who maintains an online photography diary, famously took to Twitter to criticize former New York Times fashion critic Cathy Horyn and just this summer released photos and information about Saint Laurent’s new couture house via the house’s official Twitter account – had this to say: “The audience has changed and increased with social media, which is now the main support for fashion and a direct connection. The Internet completely took over the industry. Your audience owns your communication.”

He also echoed a popular sentiment that the fashion industry is lagging behind the forces that now drive it.

“On a different note,” he told Standen, “the acceleration of fashion, and growing number of collections, is still an unresolved issue. The fashion industry has not caught up to the current pace of social media.”

To read the interview in full, visit Yahoo! Style.