A Trio Tribute to Yves Saint Laurent
Ashleigh Schmitz
June 03, 2008
After a year battling brain cancer, the accomplished Parisian designer Yves Saint Laurent died on Sunday. Saint Laurent created designs that established the wardrobe of many a modern woman. From his days under Christian Dior to the formation of the House of Saint Laurent, he crafted quite a name (and a silhouette) for himself. Rather than mourn the death of this fashion revolutionary, we celebrate his work by highlighting three of his most inspiring pieces.
In 1958, while working for the House of Dior, Saint Laurent created his trapeze collection, with his famed trapeze dress as the centerpiece. The dress showcased a woman’s legs without revealing too much and getting too racy (for the era) allowing women to be classy, mod, and feminine.
1962 brought the debut of Saint Laurent’s own line. The couturier’s first show set the stage for his influence on women’s fashion. The simple, navy pea coat over large, white trousers opened his first show. Saint Laurent’s first collection featured tailored suits and jackets that introduced the idea of stylish women in a chic men’s silhouette. The pea coat later became a staple in Saint Laurent’s collections.
In 2002 Saint Laurent retired from design and closed his Paris-based haute couture house. His final show attracted over 2,000 guests and included models like Gisele Bundchen and Nadia Auermann. The 90-minute show featured newly created looks from some of his greatest collections. Along with reinvented pieces, Saint Laurent dressed black models in African-inspired pieces as a tribute to his groundbreaking use of African models.
Be the first to chime in, leave a reply below or Login to save it to your profile.