Yves Saint Laurent

One of the most distinctive and influential designers of the second half of the twentieth century, Yves Saint Laurent takes his place in the pantheon of French couturiers, alongside Coco Chanel, Christian Dior, and Jeanne Lanvin. Yves Saint Laurent, the first comprehensive retrospective of his life's work, will accompany an exhibition of some 250 garments from the collection of the Fondation Pierre Berg -Yves Saint Laurent at the Petit Palais in Paris. From his early days working under Dior and heading the House of Dior after his mentor's death, to the opening of his first pr t a porter shop on the Rive Gauche and the debut of the Le Smoking tuxedo, to the muses he adored, Loulou de la Falaise and Catherine Deneuve among them, this volume reveals the breadth and scope of the designer's entire career. With a preface by Pierre Berg , author Faride Chenoune explores the sources of inspiration that drove Saint Laurent's continuous innovation, drawing upon painting, sculpture, theater, opera, literature, and cinema.

Educator resource guide for the exhibition. This guide looks at fashion, paintings, and costumes and explores the groundbreaking work of Yves Saint Laurent. Contains background information, looking questions, and activity suggestions.

This definitive portrait of the creative genius who transformed fashion is the first major English-language biography of Yves Saint Laurent since his death in 2008, featuring exclusive interviews of those who knew him best, by one of the most respected names in French fashion. Yves Saint Laurent's impact on fashion is legendary, yet he remains an enigmatic and compelling figure. Tracing the development of Saint Laurent's visionary work through his charmed yet tumultuous life, respected fashion writer Laurence Benaïm's newly translated and updated biography of the famed designer explores how this unassuming prodigy became a legendary, celebrated public icon who changed the face of fashion, style, and celebrity. Enriched by the author's exclusive interviews--from Saint Laurent's partner Pierre Bergé to family members, his atelier staff, and muses such as Catherine Deneueve, LouLou de la Falaise, and Paloma Picasso--this fascinating biography chronicles early glimpses of Saint Laurent's talent in Oran and his star trajectory, from leading the House of Dior at the age of twenty-one to his fall from grace and subsequent forging with Pierre Bergé, fashion's most enduring and successful professional partnership. In portraying the man behind the timeless icons of the Mondrian-print shift dress and the Le Smoking trouser suit--who partied with Warhol in New York and relaxed with the jet set in his Marrakesh hideaway--Benaïm powerfully illuminates both the glittering world of haute couture and the business empire that revolutionized the fashion industry.

This illustrated volume presents vibrant photographs of Yves Saint Laurent's most important designs and is highlighted with essays and quotations that honor his legacy.

"Retrospective exhibition of twenty-five years of ... [Yves Saint Laurent's] work ... This book, published in connection with the exhibition, features over two hundred of Saint Laurent's couture designs, more than seventy in full color ... Also included is a fully illustrated survey of Saint Laurent's work photographed in black and white by Pierre Boulat and Nicholas Vreeland, supplemented by historically important photographs published in the fashion magazines of the era taken by such renowned photographers as Richard Avedon, Irving Penn, Bert Stern, Neal Barr, and Bill King"--Cover.

Yves Saint Laurent is a name synonymous with style, elegance, and high fashion. When he came on the scene at Dior and then started his own line, he quickly changed the way people regarded haute couture and the world of fashion itself. He revolutionized women’s evening wear when he introduced Le Smoking, a woman’s tuxedo, and made couture accessible to a younger generation. Yves Saint Laurent is Roxanne Lowit’s personal photographic history of Saint Laurent, the man and the fashion, from 1978, the year she first met him, to the last show he gave in 2002. With contributions from YSL’s muses and admirers, including Catherine Deneuve, Betty Catroux, Lucie de la Falaise, Pat Cleveland, and Valerie Steele, this reduced format hardcover represents the backstage experience at YSL’s shows as Lowit saw them herself. Whether surrounded by beautiful models or peeking at the catwalk from the wings, every moment was a magnificent photo opportunity. Lowit shares magical moments of YSL with the world—intimate, social, absorbed in fashion—and creates a unique portrait of this towering figure of postwar couture.

Founded by Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berge in 1961, shortly after the young couturier left his post at the helm of Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent would soon become one of the most successful and influential haute couture houses in Paris. Introducing Le Smoking, the first tuxedo suit for women, in 1966, Saint Laurent also presented iconic art-inspired creations, from Mondrian dresses to precious Van Gogh embroidery and the famous Ballets Russes collection. This definitive publication opens with a concise history of the house, followed by a brief biographical profile of Yves Saint Laurent, before exploring the collections themselves, organized chronologically. Each collection is introduced by a short text unveiling its influences and highlights, and illustrated with a gallery of carefully curated catwalk images. These showcase hundreds of spectacular clothes, details, accessories, beauty looks and set designs - and, of course, the top fashion models who wore them on the runway. A rich reference section concludes the book.