The history of Saint Laurent: The legacy of Yves Saint Laurent and new trends in expensive branded clothing.
Yves Saint Laurent, France's well-known designer and a real fashion icon, changed a lot about women's clothing and the idea of handmade luxury clothing. His legacy, which still lasts, is maintained by his bold ideas, such as the well-known tuxedo suit for them. He brought art in a new way into his clothing collections. His special vision made women of the time feel stronger. He left a very big mark on all fashion design and trends.
To begin with: A designer with vision and a lot of courage in fashion.
In the great world of fashion, few have made as much of a mark as Yves Saint Laurent. He was a true visionary. His style, bold and linked to art, went beyond the catwalks of Paris. He changed the way of dressing, the vision of women and their empowerment. This biography tells the life of a designer who challenged the norms, joining the old with new trends and looking for ideas in pop art. From his humble beginnings to creating a major luxury brand, we will explore his great support, his love of art and how his vision changed style around the world. The Saint Laurent brand, with him and those who followed him, became a symbol of elegance, modernity and freedom of dress. He is still a great inspiration and a true fashion icon today.
The misunderstood genius: Who really was Yves Saint Laurent?
Yves Henri Donat Mathieu Saint Laurent was born in Oran, Algeria, in 1936. Yves Saint Laurent was not just a clothing designer; he was a dream maker who understood women. As a child, he already showed a talent for drawing and was very fond of theater and fashion sketches. At 17, he went to Paris, which was key to fashion. There, Michel de Brunhoff, the head of Vogue France, discovered him and took him to Christian Dior. It was the beginning of a brilliant career. Saint Laurent became Dior's assistant. When the master died suddenly in 1957, he took over the house at the age of 21. His first collection for Dior, the "Trapèze Line", was a huge success. With it, he not only saved the brand from bankruptcy. She also showed that she understood trends and what people wanted. His new ideas often caused problems. That's why, in the end, he wanted to work alone, following his inspiration and vision of fashion design.
A legacy that begins: When was the Yves Saint Laurent brand born?
Paris in the 1950s and 1960s was full of new ideas and trends. Although haute couture dominated, ready-to-wear luxury clothing was starting to become popular. After a hard time in the army and leaving Dior due to creative and health issues, Yves Saint Laurent, with his partner Pierre Bergé, decided to found their own fashion house. The Saint Laurent brand became official in 1961. He didn't just want to make clothes for rich people. He wanted to show his ideas and his inspiration, without the limits of a big fashion house. His first collection, in January 1962, showed his vision: to dress the modern woman with an elegant, comfortable and daring style, creating new trends.
How Yves Saint Laurent changed fashion in a big way: What he left behind and his new collections for women.
Yves Saint Laurent didn't just make clothes; in truth, he gave 20th century women a new way to dress. What gave him ideas was very much his own thing, it wasn't just about looking pretty, it was about showing what women were like, what they needed and how much they wanted to be free. When you look at what Yves Saint Laurent left behind, it becomes clear that his new things changed everything in fashion design. He was the first couture designer to bring out ready-to-wear collections, which he called Rive Gauche, in 1966. Thus, luxury clothing could be for more people. The fashion seen at the shows was no longer just for the few. One thing he did that was very noticeable was to put men's clothes in women's closets, giving them a style that was elegant and made them feel very confident, creating new things that became trends.
Here are some of the most famous things Yves Saint Laurent did:
- The women's pantsuit (1966): The designer totally changed this menswear. He made it a very elegant and daring fashion symbol, going against what was being worn and the style of women in Paris at the time.
- The tuxedo for women or "Le Smoking" (1966): Many see it as his best work, this piece of haute couture gave women strength and a modern air, being another option to the usual evening dress. It was something very important that he left in fashion design.
- The trench coat: He turned it into a haute couture garment. From being something only practical, it became a style icon that never fails to please.
- The safari dress (1968): This was a different way of dressing, a little different and very stylish. It was ideal for when you wanted to go on an adventure, as it combined practicality with attention-grabbing style.
- Transparencies (1968): She used them in a daring way, but always with good taste. In this way, the woman's body looked elegant and felt very free.
- Blouses with bows and jumpsuits: These clothes were very versatile and very fashionable. He created it with women in mind who were always very busy.
Everything this designer did not only changed fashion, but it also showed what that time was like and helped women to be freer and show themselves better.
Let's think about this: Yves Saint Laurent versus haute couture as usual.
To get a good understanding of all that Saint Laurent gave and his new ideas, it's good to see how he worked if we compare it to what was normal in fashion at that time.
| What was looked at | Haute Couture as usual (Before YSL) | What Yves Saint Laurent's was like |
|---|---|---|
| Target Audience | People with money, for parties, made-to-measure clothes. | Today's woman, who is active, free; clothes for everyday wear. |
| Feminine Silhouette | Wanted hourglass figure, corsets, oversized skirts. | Loose, unbound, man-like; with menswear ideas (pants, tuxedo). |
| Key garments | Evening dresses, structured day suits, elegant coats. | The tuxedo, the pantsuit, the safari dress, the trench coat, overalls. |
| Relationship with Art | Inspiration was soft or just for embellishment. | Inspiration came directly from art (Mondrian, Pop Art), saw fashion as art. |
| Marketing | It was only sold in haute couture stores. | For anyone with the Rive Gauche line (ready-made clothes). |
The 'Le Smoking': A Symbol of freedom and strength.
The best known of Yves Saint Laurent is undoubtedly his 'Le Smoking'. This women's suit, which came out in 1966, was super daring. It didn't follow the norms of what people wore at night. At a time when women were only expected to wear dresses or skirts, the designer gave them something elegant that made them feel confident and with a masculine and feminine touch at the same time. The "Le Smoking" was not just another suit. It became like a uniform to show power. Thanks to it, women were able to go places and do things that only men used to do, but without losing their feminine side. Its design, with those pants that fit perfectly, the fitted jacket and the ruffled shirt, still sets trends in fashion right now. Many other designers later copied it. So it is a very important thing in the history of fashion design.
Beyond the Tuxedo: The Safari, the Trench Coat and Fashion for All
Although the "Le Smoking" was well known, in Yves Saint Laurent' s biography we see other new things that changed women's fashion a lot. The safari dress, with its pockets and a design that was both useful and beautiful, showed that adventure and freedom that women wanted so much. The trench coat, originally worn by the military, became a symbol of elegance in the city. Thus, a garment that served a lot, became something luxurious and stylish. His idea was that fashion design should be for everyone. He made that a reality with the Rive Gauche collection, which was the first haute couture store with ready-to-buy clothes. Thanks to that, his collections reached more people. He erased the differences between haute couture, which was only for the few, and everyday fashion. Yves Saint Laurent didn't just make clothes. He gave a complete lifestyle, a closet for the modern woman, who was active and independent in Paris. With that, he became a true fashion icon.
Art and Clothing: How Did Art Help Yves Saint Laurent's Collections?
The relationship between Yves Saint Laurent and art was very, very strong. Art not only gave him inspiration, but it was seen as it was in his clothes. It was like a never-ending source of inspiration. It allowed him not only to make clothes, but to create real works of art that you could wear. From an early age, the designer was already a fan of great artists such as Mondrian, Picasso, Matisse and Van Gogh. He did not copy. Yves Saint Laurent captured the main idea and the soul of these works. Then he turned them into fashion designs that were very new. So his clothes became like a canvas where fashion and art came together. That's how pieces came out that are not forgotten and that today are part of the history of both fashion and art.
"Fashion is not an art, but it needs an artist to exist." - Yves Saint Laurent
This quote from Yves Saint Laurent reveals his vision: fashion, for him, was an art that demanded the talent of a designer to shine. His innovative approach raised fashion design to an unparalleled cultural and intellectual level.
From Mondrian to Pop Art: The inspiration of art in the collections of Yves Saint Laurent
The "Mondrian" collection of 1965 is the best example of how Saint Laurent brought art and fashion together. The designer used the ideas of Dutch painter Piet Mondrian for his dresses. It showed blocks of primary colors and black lines, typical of his works. It showed a modernity and simplicity that was very much liked. This collection was a huge success in the 1960s. It showed how pop art could influence and change fashion design collections. Thus, Yves Saint Laurent became a true fashion icon, able to set new trends globally from Paris.
The designer Yves Saint Laurent admired pop art. This was seen in his designs, especially in the 1966 collection, inspired by Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein. Yves Saint Laurent filled his garments with bright colors and prints, using consumer themes and famous people. His collections were bold, appealing to young people who wanted trends and their own style. He brought art from the galleries to Paris fashion. Saint Laurent proved that fashion could have a concept and the strength of a work of art, leaving an important legacy to fashion design and haute couture.
The legacy that still lasts: How designer Yves Saint Laurent changed fashion and haute couture.
Yves Saint Laurent was very important in the history of fashion. His legacy, a key part of his biography, encompassed not only his clothes, but how he viewed the modern woman. He empowered women with his clothes, giving them confidence and unparalleled style. This designer, with ideas, mixed the luxury of haute couture with the everyday clothes of Paris, for his Rive Gauche line, a major game changer. Thus, he changed the industry, made it more approachable and relevant, setting new trends and making him a fashion icon.
How Yves Saint Laurent affected fashion was great:
- Feminine empowerment: The designer put menswear (tuxedo, pantsuit) to give strength and elegance to feminine style.
- Democratization of luxury: With Rive Gauche, he made his haute couture collections accessible and luxurious.
- Fusion of art and fashion: For Yves Saint Laurent, fashion was art; his designs, inspired by pop art, were like canvases.
- Timelessness and modernity: His well-known fashion designs ("Le Smoking", trench coat), remain classic trends.
- Integral vision of style: He created a world of style: perfumes, accessories, eyewear, thus making a way of life.
Designer Yves Saint Laurent didn't just dress women; he made them strong with elegance and confidence. His legacy lives on; his things are still relevant, celebrated and desired, and thus he is a fashion icon.
From Yves to Now: How the Saint Laurent Brand Changed
After Yves Saint Laurent stopped making couture in 2002, his fashion house changed quite a bit. The brand has been able to maintain its own style, always accommodating trends with different creative directors, such as Tom Ford, Stefano Pilati, Hedi Slimane and Anthony Vaccarello. All of them have respected what the designer left, but each one has added his personal touch. Hedi Slimane, for example, in 2012 changed the name of Yves Saint Laurent ready-to-wear to Saint Laurent Paris, to give it a more rock and roll and modern feel. Now, Anthony Vaccarello is at the helm. He mixes the sensual and daring style with today. This made the brand very important in the luxury world and a symbol of Paris. His collections show that boldness, elegance and freedom that the designer Yves Saint Laurent always put in his fashion designs. Thus, he remains a fashion icon and something that always inspires.
See what he left behind: How is Saint Laurent today?
To get into the world of Yves Saint Laurent, there are ways to see his talent and all the important things he left behind. Museums, movies and biographies tell you about his life and where he got ideas from. The brand continues to bring out collections that have his style. So people who like fashion can wear some of what he did for luxury.
On TV and in books: Where do you see or read about Yves Saint Laurent?
There are many movies and books that talk about the life and legacy of Yves Saint Laurent. If you want to see a documentary of this very famous haute couture designer, here are two important movies:
- Yves Saint Laurent (2014): It was made by Jalil Lespert. It tells you the biography of the well-known haute couture designer. From how he started and his relationship with Pierre Bergé.
- Saint Laurent (2014): Bertrand Bonello shows us a more artistic and personal way of Saint Laurent's life. This was when he was doing his fashion designs, with pop art stuff.
- L'amour fou (2010): This documentary is very emotional. It talks about the strong bond between Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé. It shows you how their life was and what they left. It's right around the time of the big auction of their huge art collection.
If you like to read, there are many biographies and art books of his life. You can see 'Yves Saint Laurent: A Biography' by Laurence Benaïm or the museum books in Paris and Marrakech. There you see his best known collections and where he got the ideas for fashion design.
Saint Laurent fashion today: the accessories that carry the soul of its creator.
The very Yves Saint Laurent style is noticeable in the brand's collections today, especially in its accessories. They show the elegance, the daring and the legacy he made. The glasses, sunglasses or eyeglasses, are a good example of how the designer unites trends with the fashion design of today. So, those who love fashion can have a piece of real luxury.
For luxury that lasts, Saint Laurent glasses have many styles. They showcase the brand's elegance, inspired by haute couture. From bold, shapely frames to classic designs. Each pair makes your personality and style look better, an accessory for fashion icons.
Check out the collection of Saint Laurent Sunglasses for the model that best suits you and takes care of you. If you want to look good with that brand elegance, the Saint Laurent Prescription Glasses are perfect.
Discover Saint Laurent glasses for men and women. We have several collections, so you can choose the design that suits your personal style:
- Gafas De Sol Saint Laurent Hombre: Take a look at our current design glasses, there are cool models like the Saint Laurent Sl 28 Slim 001 or these that are more elegant, the Saint Laurent Sl 312 M 1 58. They show you a modern style, for today's men.
- Saint Laurent Women's Sunglasses: Here you will find the most elegant and fashionable eyewear. There are models like the Saint Laurent Sl 181 Loulou 001, which are already a classic, the Saint Laurent Sl 214 Kate 001 or the daring Saint Laurent Sl 232 Betty 001.
These glasses are more than an accessory. They are everything Saint Laurent stands for: luxury, a modern look and a style that always sets trends in Paris and in fashion around the world.
Saint Laurent: Always Shining in Fashion
The story of Yves Saint Laurent takes us into the life of a genius who did more than just fashion. He not only made clothes, he also gave people freedom with his ideas. His new ideas allowed women to wear men's clothes and brought pop art to haute couture. Designer Yves Saint Laurent changed the boundaries of fashion design. His legacy shows us his foresight, courage and great artistry. He is a very important fashion icon of Paris and luxury in general. The Saint Laurent brand follows the inspiration of this famous designer, giving collections with beautiful glasses and modern things. Yves Saint Laurent's style follows today's trends, showing that his creativity and vision do not expire.
