‘Over the years I have learnt that what is important in a dress is the woman who is wearing it.’ A suitably female-centric statement from Yves Saint Laurent, whose brand went on to revolutionise the way women dress.
Since his death in 2008 Saint Laurent continues to be lauded in fashion circles as the only designer that the legendary Coco Chanel took seriously, and the first one to put ‘street style’ on the catwalk.
We have him to thank for putting women in trousers, for inventing the ladies’ tuxedo suit and even for hiding the dark circles under our tired eyes with YSL’s wünder-product Touche Éclat.
The beginning
Yves Henri Donat Saint Laurent was born to wealthy parents in Algeria in 1936 and had his ultra-stylish mother and two sisters wrapped round his little finger from the start. Obsessed with the theatre and ballet, he spent his teenage years alone in his room with copies of Vogue, producing ‘couture shows’ using bits of old fabric. His family were invited to see the shows via handwritten invitations pushed under doors.
Meeting Dior
In 1955, after only three months at the design school of the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture in Paris, his portfolio found its way to then Vogue editor Michel de Brunhoff. De Brunhoff took him to meet Dior.
France’s most revered fashion legend snapped Saint Laurent up to be his design assistant immediately — at the age of just 17. By the time Dior died three years later, Saint Laurent was more or less in charge of the atelier but the announcement that he was to head up the house at the tender age of 20 sent shock waves through Paris.
Fashion innovations
In the years that followed, Saint Laurent set the fashion world on fire by producing innovation after innovation. His most famous was the introduction of trousers for women and ‘Le Smoking’ — a sexy masculine-style tuxedo suit, which he presented in 1966 as an alternative to the evening dress. He also spearheaded a crossover between art and fashion, paying tribute to Mondrian with his Autumn/Winter 1965 collection of colour-blocked shift dresses.
Passing the flame
After 25 years at the forefront of fashion and beauty, Saint Laurent handed over the reins of his ready-to-wear line to his assistants in 1987 and closed his couture house in 2002. Alber Elbaz (now at Lanvin) designed for the brand from 1998-1999, before the arrival of the Texan powerhouse Tom Ford. Ford’s signature sexy style brought the brand back into the spotlight, particularly his controversial campaigns for ‘Opium’, which featured a naked Sophie Dahl.
Stefano Pilati
Since taking over in 2004, current creative director Stefano Pilati has returned the label to its Parisian roots with feminine designs and ground-breaking tailoring.
His first collection, filled with tulip skirts, ruffled blouses and wide, square-buckled belts has gone down as one of the most influential in recent fashion history.
His eye for must-have accessories has resulted in sellouts including the Tribute platform shoe, loved by A-listers including Victoria Beckham.
The house of YSL may be built on legend but it is moving into the future with ease, while always embodying the spirit of French chic.
This article first appeared in High Life Shop! magazine.
