Yves Saint Laurent: the story of the fashion icon

It is not necessary to be a great connoisseur of fashion history to know that Saint Laurent is one of the main references when we talk about the fashion world, what few must know is that its legacy spans more than 60 years since its founding, when the French designer of the same name popularized the prêt-à-porter and began the creation of one of the most important eras in the world of fashion. So, if like Lifestyle Mag you are also curious to know how the main brands emerged, in this post we will tell you everything you need to know about Yves Saint Laurent.

Born in Algeria and raised in France, Yves Saint Laurent’s story began early in his childhood, when he showed great interest in drawing shapes and sketches that would later become the dresses his mother and sisters would wear on special occasions. But it was only at 17 that the designer, who studied at the traditional École de la Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture, won his first Best Cocktail Dress competition. And of course, from there, he began to become known and it did not take long before he was invited to work at Dior.

After Christian Dior’s death in 1957, at only 21 years old, the French designer was appointed creative director of the brand. Right in his first release in that role, the summer “Trapeze” collection was launched with great success and acclaim. The tight waists that had previously been considered Dior’s official signature gave way to a lighter, more fluid silhouette, with less fabric and a lot of elegance. The collection earned not only numerous awards for the designer, but also the title of “little prince of couture”.

At the height of his success and before officially launching his famous brand, while still at Dior, Yves Saint Laurent was called to serve in the Algerian military. And although the experience was not good for him, the years he spent in the army also inspired him to create iconic military-style coats that became a recurring theme throughout his career.

With his maison established in 1962, the designer was always seeking more and more innovation in the world of fashion, and it was thus that he became largely responsible for popularizing the term prêt-à-porter, an expression coined by J.C. Weil and first pioneered by Pierre Cardin in 1959 when he created a collection in that vein. However, it was only through Yves Saint Laurent’s designs that the term became widely known, producing garments on a large scale while still retaining the extremely high quality of a luxury product.

The great differentiator of the Little Prince of Couture, was closely following and observing artistic movements, since his main inspirations lay in history, art, and literature. Paintings by Mondrian, Andy Warhol, Picasso, and Van Gogh were extremely important references for his work.

The years that followed the launch of YSL were marked by many runway shows, magazine covers, historic moments, and breathtaking collections. Sophistication, practicality, and creativity were adjectives frequently used to describe any piece created by the maison and, for this reason, it was considered one of the main and sole references for almost four decades under the French designer’s direction. In addition to clothing, the brand also became known for launching many other products such as bags, shoes, and perfumes.

Yves Saint Laurent died in 2008, but even so his legacy remains one of the great phenomena of global fashion. The Italian Stefano Pilati and the French Heidi Slimane were the great successors of Yves Saint Laurent, and in this new moment, the brand lost the YVES, becoming only SAINT LAURENT PARIS, following the creations and shows inherited from Yves Saint Laurent.