Yves Saint Laurent was born on August 1, 1936, in Oran, Algeria. He might as well have been born a girl: slender and with delicate features, Yves was far removed from the rough-and-tumble games of boys. From a young age, he delighted in flipping through his mother’s fashion magazines, cutting out models, and sketching outfits for them, dressing paper dolls as he imagined himself the master of a fashion house. “At three years old, he cried if he didn’t like my dress,” recalled the couturier’s mother.
Conquering Paris
At school, Yves faced bullying, with classmates justifiably suspecting him of being gay. So, at the first opportunity, he left for Paris at 17 to study at the Syndicale de la Couture fashion school. In his very first design competition, he won a prize for his work. The young talent caught the attention of the famous Christian Dior, who invited him to join his fashion house.
18-year-old Saint Laurent at a cocktail dress competition
The master highly praised his creations: “Yves Saint Laurent is young but has immense talent. In my last collection of 180 models, 34 were created by him. I think it’s time to reveal this to the press. My prestige won’t suffer,” the great couturier genuinely rejoiced for the young man. When Yves turned 21, Dior unexpectedly passed away, and the young designer was appointed artistic director of the renowned fashion house.
Yves Saint Laurent, 1958
A new significant chapter began in the life of the great couturier. Besides his new position, Christian Dior’s death led Yves to meet a man who would become central to both his business and personal life for many years: at the master’s funeral, Saint Laurent first encountered Pierre Bergé.
The Little Prince of High Fashion
While the world mourned Christian Dior’s death, Yves Saint Laurent presented a new Spring-Summer 1958 collection for Christian Dior just a few months later. It was a true triumph: the reviews were euphoric, and the press dubbed Saint Laurent “The Little Prince of High Fashion.” Major fashion magazines interviewed the young designer, and grand dinners and receptions were held in his honor. It was at one of these events that his romance with businessman Pierre Bergé began, lasting for 50 years.
From 1958 to 1960, Yves Saint Laurent created six collections for Dior. However, with each new collection, he faced increasing criticism. Critics claimed his line was losing its style, as the couturier drew inspiration from street fashion while designing clothes for women of his generation.
Yves suffered greatly from feeling misunderstood, and then came another blow – a draft into the army. In the ranks of the French army, Saint Laurent had to participate in combat in Algeria, his homeland. The horrors of war took a toll on the young man’s psyche: Yves ended up in a psychiatric clinic. During this time, only his loyal Pierre was by his side. The owners of the Dior house terminated their contract with their artistic director, whose creative ideas they did not understand, and his mental health issues provided an additional reason to part ways with such an employee.
In these difficult times, Pierre Bergé offered his shoulder to Yves Saint Laurent, suggesting they create their own fashion house together. Thus, the idea for the famous brand YVES SAINT LAURENT was born within the walls of the psychiatric clinic.
All the Colors of the Rainbow
To regain his strength and recover from the nervous breakdown, Yves and Pierre traveled to Morocco. There, they bought a house. This was the happiest time in the lives of the unconventional couple. In Marrakech, Yves and Pierre created their own bohemian circle, which included the rich and famous: Paul and Talitha Getty, Fernando Sanchez, Loulou de la Falaise, Andy Warhol, Mick Jagger…
The home of Saint Laurent and Bergé in Morocco
For Yves Saint Laurent, Morocco became an endless source of inspiration: “It was then that I became more sensitive to light and color… The local men and women simply mix pink, blue, green, purple…” the couturier recalled. It was here that the sketches for the first collection of the new fashion house were drawn.
Pierre Bergé and Yves Saint Laurent
The runways of Paris welcomed the fashion collection of the new brand with applause. The Little Prince of High Fashion had triumphantly returned!
Love Affairs
However, the love story between Pierre Bergé and Yves Saint Laurent was not always idyllic and nearly ended in the 1970s. After 15 years together, Pierre grew weary of his partner’s nervous breakdowns, his struggles with alcohol and drugs, while Yves began seeking new relationships. It was during this time that he met Jacques de Bascher, a Parisian dandy whom he “stole” from Karl Lagerfeld. This episode turned the two great couturiers into lifelong enemies.
Yves Saint Laurent and Karl Lagerfeld
Jacques and Yves fully immersed themselves in their truly toxic relationship, fueled by drugs and orgies. Pierre Bergé was fiercely jealous of Yves and repeatedly threatened his rival with physical harm. Ultimately, Jacques could not endure it and ended his relationship with Saint Laurent in 1975. This event deeply wounded the designer: “Come back! You can do anything you want with me!” Yves pleaded. But Jacques did not return to him.
Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé
For his part, Pierre Bergé never fully forgave Saint Laurent, but despite everything, he remained loyal to the great fashion master until the end of his days, serving as a mainstay, advisor, and friend to the sensitive and vulnerable couturier, as Pierre Bergé founded and managed the YSL brand for 40 years.
Fashion Evolution or Revolution?
Pierre Bergé asserted that Yves Saint Laurent “accompanied the evolution of women.” “If Chanel gave women freedom in the first half of the 20th century, Saint Laurent gave them power,” he emphasized.
The fashion anarchist Yves Saint Laurent was unafraid of bold experiments. He dressed his models in workwear – safari suits, men’s tuxedos, camouflage, pairing them with sheer blouses or even forgoing them altogether – and women loved it! His invention of the trapeze silhouette, which allowed for movement while still looking just as sexy as a fitted bodice, truly revolutionized the fashion world. His clothing made women feel freer and more confident.
Yves Saint Laurent with models Betty Catrou and Loulou de la Falaise, wearing safari dresses from the couturier’s collection. London, 1969
Yves Saint Laurent, an art lover in all its forms, a man who bridged French fashion and global cinema, believed it was important not only to wear beautiful clothes but also to be a personality: “Clothing should be subordinate to a woman’s personality, not the other way around.”
The Muses of the Great Couturier
Many of Yves Saint Laurent’s collections were inspired by specific women: his friends, muses, and colleagues. For instance, the Scandinavian blonde Betty Catrou inspired the maestro to create the women’s pantsuit. Not to be outdone in wildness, Betty happily shared his exuberant nighttime escapades through the seedy spots of the French capital.
Yves Saint Laurent and Loulou de la Falaise creating a new model
The elegant Loulou de la Falaise, a fashion designer, close friend, and creative partner of Saint Laurent, looked stunning in a colorful dress and turban inspired by the maestro’s Moroccan influences.
By his last collection in 2001, the fashion icon and ambassador of Saint Laurent’s style was Catherine Deneuve. She was a true gem of his collections, starting from 1965 when the budding actress first approached the couturier for an outfit for a reception with the English queen. Over time, he created outfits for her films, and undoubtedly, his work for the film “Belle de Jour,” where the tightly buttoned, completely non-sexual outfits of the main character only highlighted Deneuve’s passionate nature, propelled the actress to stardom. It was a symbiosis of a talented designer and a wonderful actress: she became his most prized possession at all subsequent shows.
Saint Laurent and his muse Catherine Deneuve
Among Yves Saint Laurent’s favorite models were the exotic beauty Mounia, the charming Indian Kira, and the sophisticated Verushka. He was the first to recognize the extraordinary charm of young Laetitia Casta. The couturier dedicated more than one collection to his eccentric muse Paloma Picasso (the illegitimate daughter of Pablo Picasso).
Yves Saint Laurent and Paloma Picasso
The maestro was friends with the most famous, beautiful, and intriguing women of his time – actresses, dancers, writers, artists, models, first ladies… For Yves Saint Laurent, no one understood and felt women quite like he did.
Stylish Advice from Yves Saint Laurent
The great Yves Saint Laurent clearly articulated what a stylish woman should be. His advice remains relevant to this day.
- “To look beautiful, a woman needs a black sweater, a straight black skirt, and a man who loves her.”
- “Even the most exquisite outfit needs at least a drop of perfume. It adds a sense of perfection and gives a certain charm to the image.”
- “Fashion comes and goes, but style is eternal. It emphasizes all the strengths and hides the imperfections of a person. Therefore, one should not blindly follow fashion trends; the main thing is to find your own style.”
- “The most beautiful makeup a woman can wear is her passion. But cosmetics are easier to buy.”
- “The most important thing in clothing is the woman who wears it.”