Yves Henri Donat Mathieu-Saint-Laurent (1 August 1936 – 1 June 2008),[1] better known as Yves Saint Laurent or YSL, was a French fashion designer who, in 1962, founded his eponymous fashion label. He is regarded as being among the foremost fashion designers of the twentieth century.[2]
Saint Laurent's designs often combined elements of comfort and elegance. He is credited with having introduced the "Le Smoking" tuxedo suit for women, and was known for his use of non-European cultural references and diverse models.[3] Fashion historian Caroline Milbank called Saint Laurent "the most consistently celebrated and influential designer of the past twenty-five years", adding that he "can be credited with both spurring the couture's rise from its 1960s ashes and with finally rendering ready-to-wear reputable".[4] In 1983, Saint Laurent became the first living fashion designer to be honored by the Metropolitan Museum of Art with a solo exhibition.
Throughout his couturier career, Saint Laurent received acknowledgement for his work including the 1982 International Fashion Award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America, and being elevated to the rank of Grand officier de la Légion d'honneur in 2007.
Early life and education
Yves Henri Donat Mathieu-Saint-Laurent was born on 1 August 1936, in Oran, Algeria,[5][6] to French parents (Pieds-Noirs) with some Spanish heritage (his maternal grandmother was Spanish), Charles and Lucienne Andrée Mathieu-Saint-Laurent.[7] He grew up in a villa by the Mediterranean with his two younger sisters, Michèle and Brigitte.[7] As a child, he liked to create intricate paper dolls, and by his early teen years, he was designing dresses for his mother and sisters.[8]
In 1953, Saint Laurent submitted three sketches to a contest for young fashion designers organized by the International Wool Secretariat. Saint Laurent won first place. Subsequently, he was invited to attend the awards ceremony held in Paris in December.
Career
The Dior years
Shortly after his win, he brought a number of sketches to de Brunhoff, who recognized close similarities to sketches he had been shown that morning by Christian Dior.[12] Knowing that Dior had created the sketches that morning and that the young man could not have seen them, de Brunhoff sent him to Dior, who hired him on the spot on June 20, 1955.[13]
"Dior fascinated me," Saint Laurent later recalled. "I couldn't speak in front of him. He taught me the basis of my art. Whatever was to happen next, I never forgot the years I spent at his side." Under Dior's tutelage, Saint Laurent's style continued to mature and gain even more notice.[14]
Although Dior recognised his talent immediately, Saint Laurent spent his first year at the House of Dior on mundane tasks, decorating the studio and designing accessories.
Death
Saint Laurent died on 1 June 2008 of brain cancer at his residence in Paris.[214] According to The New York Times, a few days prior, he and Bergé had been joined in a same-sex civil union known as a Pacte civil de solidarité (PACS) in France.[215] When Saint Laurent was diagnosed as terminal, with only one or two weeks left to live, Bergé and the doctor mutually decided that it would be better for him not to know of his impending death. Bergé said, "I have the belief that Yves would not have been strong enough to accept that."[216]
He was given a Catholic funeral at Église Saint-Roch in Paris.[217] The funeral attendees included the former Empress of Iran Farah Pahlavi, Bernadette Chirac, Catherine Deneuve, and President Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife, Carla Bruni.[218]
Personal life
Yves Saint Laurent met Pierre Bergé in 1958. After falling in love, they co-founded the Yves Saint Laurent Couture House in 1961. They remained longtime friends and business partners after their amicable breakup in 1976.[220]
In 1970, Saint Laurent befriended pop artist Andy Warhol while the latter was filming L'Amour in Paris.[143][221] Saint Laurent had his portrait commissioned in 1972, and Warhol traveled to Paris to photograph him.[222] During a visit to New York in November 1972, Saint Laurent saw the portrait and remarked, "The colors are marvelous — orange, red, green, and pink."[223][224]
Accolades and legacy
In 1982, Saint Laurent received the International Fashion Award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America.[244]
In 1983, Saint Laurent became the first living fashion designer to be honored by the Metropolitan Museum of Art with a solo exhibition.[245]
In 1985, Saint Laurent was awarded an Oscar de la mode for his 'contribution to the history of fashion' at The Oscars of Fashion event in Paris.[246]
In 1999, Saint Laurent received the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award at the CFDA Fashion Awards.[247]
In 2001, Saint Laurent was awarded the rank of Commander of the Légion d'Honneur by French President Jacques Chirac.[248]
In popular culture
Films
- 2002: David Teboul's Yves Saint Laurent: His Life and Times[261]
- 2002: Yves Saint Laurent: 5 Avenue Marceau 75116 Paris[262]
- 2009: Tout Terriblement[263]
- 2010: Pierre Thoretton's L'Amour fou[264]
- 2014: Yves Saint Laurent
See also
- Yves Saint Laurent (brand)
Further reading
External links
- ysl.com, official Yves Saint Laurent (brand) website
- Trapèze dresses at Digital Collections at Chicago History Museum
- "Yves Saint Laurent, legendary designer and Pied Piper of fashion, dies aged 71", The Guardian: retrospective article
- Biography of Yves Saint Laurent
- Yves Saint Laurent Biography
- "Yves Saint Laurent shuts its doors" – BBC World 31 October 2002
References
- "Yves Saint Laurent Dies – Yves Saint Laurent Has Died in Paris Aged 71". Agence France-Presse (via Nine News). (2 June 2008.) Retrieved 12 June 2010.^
- Yves Saint Laurent, Who Has Died Aged 71, was, with Coco Chanel, regarded as the Greatest Figure in French Fashion in the 20th Century, and could be said to have Created the Modern Woman's Wardrobe The Daily Telegraph, 1 June 2008, retrieved 24 July 2010^
- Yves Saint Laurent's body put to rest