Yves Saint Laurent, abiding luxury.
Leading Parisian house of haute couture, Yves Saint Laurent is the incarnation of woman. Its ranges of ready-to-wear, leather goods and shoes showcase Parisian chic all over the world. The famous designer celebrates free, active women through knowing and modern collections that play a major role in their emancipation.
A revolution in feminine fashion.
In 1961, the designer of Algerian descent decided to found a couture house with the support of his friend, Pierre Bergé. Graphic designer Cassandre then created the famous YSL logo. Yves Saint Laurent's beginnings were particularly marked by the Mondrian collection, launched in 1965. With its characteristic straight cut and abstract print, the Yves Saint Laurent Mondrian dress would become a major symbol of the 1960's. The bold designer, drawing on his experience at Christian Dior, flouted the conventions of the time and dressed liberated women. Taking his inspiration from the City of Light so dear to him, the designer revolutionised ladies' wardrobes by reinterpreting masculine classics like safari jackets and trouser suits. Yves Saint Laurent would, in 1966, present his Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche line, a collection of luxury ready-to-wear. Like other in-vogue designers such as Cardin and Courrèges, he wanted to make fashion more democratic, more accessible without having to abandon its standing in haute couture.
The early 2000's would herald a new era for the flamboyantly successful couture house. Under the stewardship of Stefano Pilati, the luxury label diversified its range and accessorised its outfits with leather goods, shoes and jewellery. Of all the must-have Yves Saint Laurent bags, the quilted lambskin monogram range still reigns supreme.
From Yves Saint Laurent to Saint Laurent.
After triumphing for almost forty years, Yves Saint Laurent announced he was leaving in 2002 to devote himself to the activities of the foundation he founded with Pierre Bergé that same year. The fashion genius died six years later, leaving behind him the exceptional work of a lifetime and a wealth of iconic pieces. The House of Yves Saint Laurent bears witness to the flair for design and inventiveness of an avant-gardist man, who succeeding in imposing a new, more modern vision of fashion. In 2012, the brand took a radical new direction when it welcomed Hedi Slimane as its creative director. Renamed Saint Laurent Paris, the ready-to-wear line adopted a new visual identity, with touches of rock 'n' roll and a breath of modernity. To convey Saint Laurent's new codes to the public, Hedi Slimane chose unexpected muses like Marilyn Manson and Courtney Love. Today, designer Anthony Vaccarello is successor to the maestro of fashion at the reins of prestigious Saint Laurent fashion house.
The couturier with the big glasses has, without any doubt, left his indelible mark on the history of haute couture and ready-to-wear fashion. Since 2017, his designs and vintage pieces have been on display at the Yves Saint Laurent Museum in Paris. Of all his incredibly successful collections, these flagship models are simply unforgettable: