THE GREAT WORK OF YVES SAINT LAURENT

The Yves Saint Laurent clothing brand was a pioneer in introducing the concept of prêt-à-porter. In the 1960s, the label ascended to the Olympus of fashion thanks to its unique balance between unparalleled elegance and a close connection to nightlife and underground culture.

Although it is one of the most famous fashion houses in the world, Saint Laurent is also one of the most enigmatic. Few would confuse its iconic dark silhouettes, long dresses, evening looks, and mysterious allure. But did you know that Saint Laurent was the first to champion high-quality ready-to-wear clothing? (Known as prêt-à-porter). And that it was the first to dress women in a suit traditionally considered for men? (Le Smoking).

In this article, we will explore the work of one of the most renowned creators and his eponymous fashion house: Saint Laurent.

The Beginning

The iconic interlocking YSL logo has been a part of the brand since its inception. Designed by graphic artist Cassandre (the name used for many of the brand’s pieces and the pseudonym of Adolphe Jean-Marie Mouron), it was introduced almost immediately after the brand’s founding in 1961.

Yves Saint Laurent (the creator) and Pierre Bergé (the CEO, partner, and life companion of Yves) established the brand at 30 Rue Spontini. The first collection, launched in January 1962, caused an immediate international sensation. The first piece created for the collection? A short black dress.

This debut collection adhered to the then-traditional haute couture, but it was in 1966 that the first store was opened. Named Saint Laurent Rive Gauche, after the modern Left Bank of the Seine in Paris, it was the first store where prêt-à-porter was given equal priority with couture, without one overshadowing the other.

That same year, Le Smoking was introduced—a line of suits for women. It was the first to dress women in the now-iconic power suit, traditionally reserved for men. Le Smoking, the first suit created specifically for women, was a groundbreaking concept born from Saint Laurent's mind. The appropriation of the traditionally masculine suit was a revolutionary act for women, enabling them to move more freely in a world where formal attire had almost always meant wearing a dress. Women could now dress "like them" and reclaim the power that restrictive garments had taken away.

In 1967, Saint Laurent designed the wardrobe for the film Belle de Jour, starring Catherine Deneuve, who immediately became one of his muses. Another of his great muses was his lifelong friend Betty Catroux, whom he discovered dancing one night and who became part of his closest circle. To crown this decade of success, in 1968 he launched the Saint Laurent menswear line.

The 1970s and 1980s

Saint Laurent opened the new decade in 1971 with a scandalous collection—literally. Inspired by the 1940s and named LIBÉRATION, the collection set the tone for what would become the hallmark of 1980s fashion: shoulder pads. Before shoulder pads became synonymous with the 1980s, they were already an unmistakable symbol of the house. The elongated and severe silhouette, accentuated by the volume of the shoulder pads, became the maison’s signature.

In 1974, YSL’s offices moved to 5 Avenue Marceau, which in 2017 became the Yves Saint Laurent Museum. Shortly after, the brand became one of the first to stage a haute couture runway show on an elevated platform (a precursor to the runway format of the 1980s). At the time, this new perspective on fashion, with guests viewing the garments from below, created a striking effect. It gave the pieces prominence and separated them from the murmurs of the crowd.

During this decade, Saint Laurent also ventured into the world of perfumes, dedicating an entire collection to his iconic fragrance Opium. In addition to defining the silhouette of the decade, Saint Laurent achieved another milestone by becoming the first designer to be honoured with a live retrospective at New York’s MET Museum.

This period of his life also solidified his love for Marrakech, where he maintained a house that now serves as a museum. This same decade saw him embrace an infatuation with vibrant colours, a passion celebrated in the brand’s most recent collections.

Saint Laurent to the Present Day

The use of colour was always significant to Saint Laurent. Despite his love for black, his work aimed to dress women in vibrant hues to contrast with the night—a certain joie de vivre that contrasts with the seriousness with which he is often remembered. Numerous documentaries and biopics explore this dichotomy in his character and work.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the master designer chose to focus exclusively on haute couture, entrusting Alber Elbaz and Hedi Slimane with the leadership of the Rive Gauche lines for women and men, respectively. This decision launched the careers of two future stars of fashion.

In 1999, Saint Laurent joined the Kering Group, with Tom Ford taking over both Rive Gauche lines following his tenure at Gucci. In 2002, Yves announced his retirement with a retrospective haute couture show, marking the end of couture operations at the Avenue Marceau atelier, which now houses the Yves Saint Laurent Museum.

At the helm of the men's and women's lines, Stefano Pilati and Hedi Slimane succeeded one another, leading up to the arrival of Anthony Vaccarello. Under Hedi Slimane's creative direction, the house delved deeply into its archives, ultimately adopting the original "Saint Laurent" label—omitting "Yves"—as the official name of the brand.

Since 2016, Saint Laurent has been under the creative direction of Anthony Vaccarello. His debut with the Autumn 2016 collection defined the key pillars of Vaccarello's vision for Saint Laurent: the 1980s, seduction, and an emphasis on mystery.

With iconic runway shows at the foot of the Eiffel Tower (in the Jardins du Trocadéro), Vaccarello’s Saint Laurent retains the imposing aura that is so integral to the brand’s identity. Under the leadership of Vaccarello as creative director and Francesca Bellettini as CEO, the house achieved record-breaking revenues, surpassing €16 billion in its initial years.

Vaccarello also cultivated a new generation of muses for the brand. Alongside icons like Catherine Deneuve, Charlotte Gainsbourg, and Lou de La Falaise, the new era of Saint Laurent welcomed modern style icons such as Zoë Kravitz, Rosé from BlackPink, and Hailey Bieber.