For some of the it-boys who grew up in the 2000s, the world was shaped around an immovable size chart from 29, bikers with leather cinched in at the waist and hairstyling to make fans of the New York Dolls envious. That silhouette had been launched by a young Hedi Slimane at the creative direction of Dior Homme, irreversibly marking the aesthetic imagery of menswear as we know it. Its adherents today have been semi-ironically renamed Hedi Boy and are rediscovering the dress formulary compiled by the French designer, sampling what Millennials had savoured in its original form.

You may have seen them on Instagram or TikTok - it's all about the algorithm here - grappling with a Dior Homme holy grail scouted on Vinted, eBay or at some flea market run by sellers unaware of the existence of Japanese denim. If Millennials and generations who fully experienced the reform of the male silhouette, promulgated by Hedi Slimane himself, are familiar with – and probably still cite – the references cultivated by the French designer over the years, the new Hedi Boy are more concerned with faithfully reproducing the vibe. A hunt has officially begun on the Internet, aka the Hedi Boy: "One in three boys in London has a high probability of experiencing a Hedi phase in their lifetime," ironizes the Instagram account Weindandwinderful.

In one of her Slimane-themed surveys, creator Emma Winder, who in order to combat the Hedi Boy epidemic in the U.K. has seen fit to open a helpline service and meet them on the street to analyse their looks, arrives at the formulation of the fateful question, "What is the fit of a Hedi Boy today?" One of the interviewees, Cavey, responds without any kind of hesitation, "An SLP beanie, a Suede L01 stud, and a pair of waxed 02 jeans." The interviewer, in distress and in a state of confusion generated by the Hedi boys' so thorough glossary, asks for clarification regarding the nomenclature adopted. It will be Cavey himself, in the same reel, who explains that "SLP stands for Saint Laurent Paris, post 2013." Slimane, it is fair to remember, became creative director of Saint Laurent in 2012.

For those who would like to try to replicate the looks of a Hedi Boy at home, avoiding lengthy negotiations on Vinted or eBay, where Slimane's pieces are treated like post-modern relics, online shopping could be a viable alternative. The fit of the jeans has to be perfect, you may have guessed that. The leather biker, preferably slightly cropped and screwed up. The boots? The more nostalgic will be looking for that famous golden pair that appeared on the runway of the Fall/Winter 2005 Dior Homme show, but black or brown cowboys can also do the trick. There is one thing, however, that a Hedi Boy cannot neglect in any way, and it has to do neither with slim ties ("Boys don't cry" ring a bell?) nor with distressed striped T-shirts – it's the music playlist. If Hedi Slimane 's work has gone down in history for shaping an intentionally ambiguous narrative of the masculine by delving into the queer underground of the 1970s, much of his inspiration and collaborations come from the world of music itself. From the celebration of the aesthetic that The Guardian called skank chic, dwelling on Pete Doherty's emaciated and dissolute appearance, to the meticulous choice of show soundtracks, to the constant front row presence of Mick Jagger, Slimane explored the London music scene, even dedicating a photo book to it entitled London Birth of a Cult (2005).

For his latest Dior Homme collection, just to frame the scope of the phenomenon, the French designer paraded Ronnie Joice of the indie band Littl'ans in a pair of crystal-studded angel wings and tambourine, which made him legendary. It is said that at the sight of the tambourine angel, Karl Lagerfeld burst into tears. And that, upon the announcement of Hedi Slimane's separation from Dior, the first Hedi Boy was orphaned, only to breathe a sigh of relief when the designer was appointed creative director of Saint Laurent in 2012. Well, now things seem to have changed considerably: second-generation Hedi Boys can mix Dior or Saint Laurent archival pieces with Celine garments, or try the DIY route, experimenting with fits that perfectly reproduce the debauched look so dear to Hedi Slimane's poetics. They know what indie sleaze is and, most likely, the The Strokes are among their favourites on Spotify. Some of them, perhaps a fashion design student, might even be familiar with the campaigns shot by photographer Richard Avedon for Dior Homme. Because, to be a Hedi Boy, the prerequisite is always the same: to love Hedi Slimane unconditionally. And wanting to fit into his jeans so darn skinny at all costs, let's repeat that.