The story of Yves Henri Donat Mathieu-Saint-Laurent, better known as Yves Saint Laurent (Oran, Algeria, 1936-Paris, France, 2008), is the story of a man who changed the idea of femininity and one of the main promoters of the resurgence of haute couture.
Yves Saint Laurent was born in Oran, a city located in the northwest of Algeria that, at the time, was a French colony. His family was one of the wealthiest in the area, with a father descended from a French baron and president of an insurance company and several movie theaters. As a child, the designer made his passion for fashion clear, as he was a faithful reader of Vogue magazine and made dresses for his mother and his sisters. Unusual hobbies at that time for a boy his age that made him suffer from bullying for several years.
At the age of 14, Yves participated in a contest organized by the International Wool Secretariat and sent three of his designs to Paris, achieving third place in the contest. After this, the couturier began his studies at the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture in Paris, after following the recommendations of Michel de Brunhoff, editor-in-chief of Vogue, who had been surprised by the young man’s designs.
Thus, at the age of 18 and after several training courses, his designs came into the hands of Christian Dior -thanks to one of those responsible for Vogue-, and he was hired almost immediately at the French maison as an assistant. In 1957, when Dior announced his retirement, he chose Yves Saint Laurent as his successor as head of the haute couture fashion house. A decision that surprised even Yves himself, who at the age of 21 became the youngest dressmaker in French haute couture.
The first collection within the house was launched in 1958 and was very successful, as it continued with the New Look style promoted by Dior. However, the following lines were not so well received by critics, and in 1960, his career was interrupted by having to complete French military service. Some very difficult years for the designer, since he had psychological problems and received aggressive therapies.
Returning to Paris in 1960, Yves had been replaced as chief designer of the Dior house by Marc Bohan. The couturier sued the French maison for moral damages with the help of his friend Pierre Bergé, and with the compensation received from this matter, Yves opened his first sewing firm in 1962. During the following years, the firm of Yves Saint Laurent became He made an important gap in the world of haute couture, becoming one of the main designers of the mid-20th century. Among his innovations, they highlighted the creation of the first women’s tuxedo, transparencies and collections inspired by great artists of the 20th century, such as his Mondrian or pop-Art dresses. The year 71 also marked a before and after in the history of the firm, when Yves consolidated the blazer and the striped jacket suit.
The Algerian couturier managed to lead the 1960s and 1970s through innovation, since his collections always had the latent intention of freeing women from outdated trends and equating their clothing with men’s. A concept that continued to improve and polish during the eighties.
In addition, the designer stood out throughout his career for his great connection with art, since he also created costumes for theater, ballet and cinema, collaborating with creators of the stature of Luis Buñuel or François Truffaut.
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