After looking at the style history of Balenciaga and Schiaparelli, I wanted to keep researching more designers and creators, and I knew where to go next. Although Christian Dior died at a rather young age, the House of Dior has cemented several different designers in their fashion career. John Galliano was a particularly loud designer that made waves throughout his tenure. And Maria Grazia Chiuri is now the first female creative director of Dior. However, a 21 year old Yves St Laurent made history when he became creative director of Dior upon the founder’s death. St Laurent was a modern designer, and made his mark on the House of Dior and fashion itself. This is a history of Yves St Laurent, and his work in the world of fashion.
Yves St Laurent: Early History
Yves St Laurent was born in Algeria in 1936 to French parents, but spent most of his childhood growing up in the Mediterranean. He liked to create paper dolls when he was younger, and quickly moved onto designing clothing for his mother and sisters. He had quite an early start in the fashion industry, earlier than most designers. St Laurent entered a contest for young designers put on by the International Wool Secretariat, and after winning met the editor of French Vogue. He then enrolled in the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture in Paris at the age of 17. (This is the governing body for French fashion, and is the only body who can designate a house as an haute couture house.) And after winning the contest for a second time, the editor introduced him to Christian Dior after seeing striking similarities in their work.
Yves St. Laurent: Working for Christian Dior
Christian Dior’s house was well-established by the time that he met St Laurent. Although Dior did recognise that St Laurent had immense talent, he made him begin at the bottom of the house. He would decorate the displays, help clean up, and was finally allowed to design accessories. After a year of working his way up, St Laurent was able to start submitting couture designs. His designs made it into several collections, and he began to build his profile with Dior. Apparently in the summer of 1957 Dior told St Laurent’s mother that he planned for him to succeed as head of Dior; Dior passed away in October of the same year of a heart attack. And so, St. Laurent became head of the House of Dior at the age of 21…
Yves St Laurent: Director of Dior
The House of Dior was in a rather precarious position when St Laurent took the helm. As a 21 year old designer, he approached fashion rather differently. His first collection in 1957 was a softer and more subtle version of the New Look, and most likely saved Dior from financial ruin. The line would go on to be known as the Trapeze line. All Dior designers interpret the New Look in their own way; St Laurent’s was the first interpretation. His second and third collections were not received quite so well, though. Given that he was in his early 20s, he embraced the youth culture of the late 50s and 60s, and the “Beatnik” look. (Believe it or not, the typical Dior customer was not a big fan of the Beatnik movement…)
Although his 1958 and 1959 collections were not acclaimed as his first was, he still held a prominent role in fashion. He was asked by Farah Diba to design her wedding dress when she married the Shah of Iran in 1959. However, the owner of Dior was not particularly enamoured with St Laurent. He had originally put pressure on the government to keep St Laurent from being conscripted; after St Laurent’s collections were panned, he asked for him to be conscripted into the French Army in the Algerian War of Independence. He only served for 20 days, before hazing from fellow soldiers sent him to the hospital. And if that wasn’t enough, he found out there that he was fired from Dior and replaced….
Yves St Laurent: YSL
What is a talented designer to do after being shoved out? St Laurent took the bold step of suing the House of Dior for breach of contract, annnnnnd he won. He formed Yves St Laurent YSL, his eponymous house, with his partner Pierre Bergé (with funding from American businessman J. Mack Robinson), and didn’t look back at Dior. He was the first French designer to produce a pret-a-porter line, in 1967, focusing on accessible fashion rather than solely haute couture. He continued to designed both the haute couture and pret-a-porter collections throughout the later 1960s and 1970s. St Laurent maintained a glamorous lifestyle, considered one of Paris’ Jet-Set members, but continued with consistent alcohol and drug use. By the 1980s, he often had to be supported to walk out at the end of his shows. After his 1987 collections, he handed over the pret-a-porter lines to assistants, and fully retired by 2002.
Yves St Laurent: Later Life and Legacy
St Laurent was the first designer to be honoured with a solo exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum in New York, in 1983. He was made a Commander of the French Legion of Honour, and then later a Grand Officer. St Laurent also created his own foundation with partner Bergé to celebrate Yves St Laurent YSL- it features over 15,000 items. He died in June of 2008 of a brain tumour, with his funeral attended by several notable French politicians, socialites, and members of the fashion community. The House is now known as Saint Laurent, rather than YSL.
History of Yves St Laurent: More Info
Sadly, there aren’t any notable Yves St Laurent biographies in English. There are some exhibition catalogues, and photographic collections, but I’ve yet to find anything with meat to it. If you can recommend any books or resources, please leave a comment! The YSL archives still exist, here is hoping I’m able to visit one day!
Do you the know the history of Yves St Laurent? Do you have a favourite piece?
Cheers,
The Historian
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Bloglovin’
So fun! We have had a Dior through the years exhibit at the art museum here in Dallas and it was so fascinating to learn about the history of Dior and the fashion and all the people who have taken charge since he died (including YSL!) And the dresses – they were just overwhelmingly beautiful to see in person!!
I’m so sad I wasn’t able to catch the Denver or Dallas exhibitions! Every museum has done such a wonderful job with the history of Dior, I don’t know that I will see a better exhibition!!