Yves Saint Laurent

By Ana-Ramona
 Historical Context
U.S.A
• World War II - trade and communication with Paris
was difficult, French designers' counterparts in
New York stepped up.

• 1957, post-war - U.S. faced a large disposable

income which lead to 1960 consumerist society

• 1960 - John and Jacqueline Kennedy served as a

role model for a youthful American look
• 1960 -Art and youth movements (black models,
African-inflected clothing reflects the civil-rights
movement)

- American society broke up with past’s

restrictions
(fashionable women threw off old norms)

- Feminism was embodied in miniskirts, which

subtracted from the model femininity of the 1950s,
and then with clothing designed for women in
careers
 Historical Context
Europe
• Mid 1960’s - Flights between U.S. And Europe lead to a
rapid dissemination of Fashion Trends
- Paris remains the center of Fashion world
- It’s reputation was threatened by rapid growth
and futuristic innovations brought by a group of designers in
London
- Haute couture went into decline, prices
increased and there were less clients
- Fashion houses started to expand Ready-to-
wear, perfumes and make-up industries
 Biography
• 1936- Yves Henri Donat Mathieu-Saint-Laurent was born in
Oran, Algeria to a bourgeois family (his father ran a chain of
movie theaters)
- he had two younger sisters (Michele, Brigitte)
• 2002- announced his retirement
• 2008 - dies in Paris, France.

• 1942- attended a catholic primary school

• 1948-49 - his first contact with Fashion world(Vogue, Le

Fardin des Modes magazines- reproduced models of dresses
and invented a fashion house with an imaginary clientele)
• 1953- sent his sketches to Paris and won
a competion for fashion drawings ( jury
members: Christian Dior, Jacques Fath,
Hubert de Givenchy), met editor in chief
of Vogue Paris, Michel de Brunhoff

• 1954- moved to Paris, maintained

correspondence with Brunhoff , entered a
fashion competition, won 1st and 3rd prize
in dress category
• 1955- he was introduced to Christian
Dior , who immediately hired him as an
assistant in his workshop.
 Yves Saint Laurent for Christian Dior
• 1957- Dior died of a heart attack in Italy at
age 52

- Yves Saint Laurent was giving the

role of artistic director of the most famous
fashion house in the world
- for 3 years than he was working on
leading the house towards more youthful
styles

• His 1st solo collection for Dior’s House was

the “Trapeze” featuring an undecorated
wedge-shaped silhouette
• 1958 - He experimented with puffball shapes
and was accused of Fancy dress and
lamentations about the loss of Dior’s guiding
hand

• 1960- His final collection for Dior reinterpreted

the clothes of Bikers and Beats in glove leather,
crocodile skins , mink and expensive wools,
usually used for haute couture market.
( Dior’s clients were not ready for such a radical
approach)
- at the age of 24 he left Dior’s house
because he was took to join the army
• 1961- with business partner Pierre Berge, Saint
Laurent founded his own house

• 1962- shows his 1st independent collection

• 1966- he launched his 1st Rive Gauche prêt-a-

porter-boutique, acknowledged the economic
necessity of making less expensive clothes to
attract a wider clientele
 His work and contribution to Fashion
Industry
• His work brought classics from work wear and special
occasions wear which then became YSL standards

• He was best designing for elegant young women

• 1962-1968- he revived the pea jacket and the trench coat, Little
Lord Fauntleroy’s knickerbockers suit and the safari suit
• 1965- paintings by Mondrian inspired heavily silk shifts which
are now among the icons of 1960’s

• 1966- he borrowed from men’s formal evening wear to create

his le smoking variations

• 1967- for Spring-Summer Collection - 1st chalk- stripe

pantsuits with vest ( Vestsuits in men’s wear fabrics were the
sensation of the Paris season)
- women tuxedo
- designed for Catherine Deneuve in Luis Brunel’s Belle
de Jour
 Questions
• What was that one thing that brought him an immediate
succes?
• Which painter inspired him for the most famous dress of
1960’s ?
• How do you think his life looks like after 1960’s ?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgQiq5MUcvw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gC1lO7lqMuw