February 1, 2025 • 30 mins
Yves Saint Laurent redefined women's fashion, pioneering designs that empowered women through self-expression and autonomy. Celebrated for his innovative spirit and ability to merge art with fashion, his legacy continues to influence the industry today.
• Exploration of Yves Saint Laurent's early life and influences
• Transition from Dior to establishing YSL
• Significant contributions to women's fashion, including trousers and tuxedo jackets
• Impact of his work on feminism and fashion accessibility
• Investigation of his fragrance line and its connection to his fashion work
• Personal struggles with addiction and their influence on his career
• Lasting legacy and contemporary relevance of YSL in the fashion world
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi divas, and welcome to Magnifique, your favorite
fashion designer deep divepodcast.
I'm your host, gabrielle, andtoday we talk about Saint
Laurent.
But first, how we doing Todayis kind of a weird day for me.
I've noticed that if I start myday while being like and
(00:20):
grabbing my phone immediately,my day is kind of just a wash.
And guess what I did thismorning?
Yup, I got on my phone and Ihaven't put it down, and this is
post TikTok.
I've been watching YouTubeshorts all day.
So we're really dealing withthat.
Phone addiction is a real thing.
I understand.
(00:42):
I am trying to have asuperiority complex, so step one
is addressing it and maybe oneday we'll fix it.
But for now, I come to you inmy oversized One Direction
blanket hoodie to discussstaying the round.
So welcome, get all cozy.
Yes, even you in your caryou're driving right now.
(01:04):
Go ahead and grab a blanket,warm up a cup of hot chocolate.
Come on, guys, let's go on anadventure.
So Saint Laurent is a couturepowerhouse, someone who
revolutionized women's fashionwhile also influencing women's
liberation.
His longtime business partner,pierre Pierre Briget, is cited
(01:25):
saying Gabrielle Chanel gavewomen freedom, yves Saint
Laurent gave them power.
Maybe this is some internalizedmisogyny that I need to address
within myself.
But it always does give mepause when a male designer goes
immediately to designing women'sclothing.
(01:46):
My first thought is why?
Why do I feel that way?
You might be asking that.
I've asked myself that and I'mnot sure.
Perhaps it's due to a lack ofknowledge.
So I do reserve the right tochange my opinion, and I did.
I did change my opinion whileresearching YSL.
You can tell that he doesn'tlove women, but he loves women,
(02:09):
and you can see that shine inevery piece that he masters up.
So I chose this topic because Ihad long heard about Yves Saint
Laurent being a star in thefashion space, a one-of-a-kind
designer who pushed theboundaries of fashion, though I
still never knew the details orextent of his reach.
(02:30):
So I set out on this journeyand now I hold the deepest
respect for him and his legacy.
What a treat it was to learnabout such a fashion prodigy.
So Yves-Henri Donat MathieuSaint-Laurent was born on August
1st 1936 in Oran, algeria, toFrench parents, charles and
(02:52):
Lucien André MathieuSaint-Laurent.
Now why is everyone in fashiona Leo?
I have been noticing this timeand time again.
All y'all are born in August.
What's going on.
Is it the stars, who's to say?
Anyway, he grew up in asister's household by the
Mediterranean Sea, with twoyounger sisters, michelle and
(03:14):
Bridget.
You know how I feel aboutsister households.
I really resonate with sisterhouseholds.
I resonate with sister people.
He loved to create intricatepaper dolls for his sisters and
into his teen years he enjoyeddesigning dresses for his mother
and sister to don.
He comes from a locallyaffluent family.
With the Mathieu Saint-Laurentfamily arriving in Algeria in
(03:37):
the 1870s.
Yves Saint-Laurent'sgreat-grandfather, pierre
Mathieu de Metz, fled Alsace.
So Yves Saint Laurent went to astrict Catholic school where he
had some trouble thriving.
I too struggled to thrive inCatholic school, however.
Mine was just kindergarten.
(03:57):
Saint Laurent was not popularin school and was often bullied
by his schoolmates for appearingto be a little flamboyant.
He was a bit of a nervous childand sick nearly every day, but
he found solace in the world offashion.
At home he took refuge in theworld where he created all of
(04:18):
his drawings and designs, and atthe age of 17, he won first
place in a contest by theInternational Wool Secretariat
and was invited to attend theaward ceremony.
His mother then took him toParis, where she had arranged to
meet with Michael de Braunhoff,the éditeur French Vogue.
(04:40):
He then moved to Paris where heenrolled at the Chambre
Syndicale de la Haute Couturewho remembers Haute Couture from
last episode, thank you,charles Frederick Wirth where
his designs quickly gainednotice.
Mitchell de Brunhoff, theeditor of Vogue, introduced
Saint-Laurent to designerChristian Dior.
(05:02):
Saint Laurent decided sayingDior fascinated me.
I couldn't speak in front ofhim.
He taught me the basis of myart and with Dior's tutelage
Saint Laurent's style continuedto mature and gain even more
notice.
Dior hired him as an assistantand later named him the
successor of the brand.
(05:23):
So he graduated from theChambre Syndicale de la Haute
Couture that is such a long nameI feel like I have to rush
through it, the ChambreSyndicale de la Haute Couture.
He graduated as a star pupiland he re-entered the
International Wool Secretécompetition again and won,
(05:46):
beating out German student KarlLagerfeld.
Dior recognized his talentimmediately and Laurent spent
his first years at the House ofDior on kind of mundane tasks
decorating the studios,designing accessories, designing
(06:08):
accessories, decorating forshows.
He really did it all.
But he was also allowed tosubmit sketches for the couture
collection Each season.
Dior gradually accepted moreand more sketches from Saint
Laurent and some of Dior'scollection from this time would
contain themes that appear laterin Saint Laurent's independent
work, such as the smock tops andthe safari jackets from Dior's
(06:35):
1957 Libre line.
In August 1957, dior met SaintLaurent's mom and chose Saint
Laurent to succeed him asdesigner.
Dior then passed away twomonths later, in October 1957,
from a heart attack during hisstay in Italy.
According to his wishes, saintLaurent became his successor and
named artistic director ofHaute Couture at just the age of
(06:58):
21.
The head designer of the Houseof Dior, really so.
His first spring-summer 58collection almost certainly
saved the enterprise fromfinancial ruins.
The collection which wasscheduled to present on January
30th, he created over 600drawings in just 15 days and at
(07:22):
10 am and just 15 days and at 10am on Thursday, january 30th
1958, eustain Laurent presentedhis first collection for
Christian Dior.
An hour later there was astanding ovation for his
collection, his masterpiece, andthis collection was called the
Trapeze Line.
It was a variation of Dior's55A line, but it catapulted him
(07:46):
to international stardom.
The collection featured anarrow shoulder that flared ever
so gently to the hem, just tocover the knee.
The press was in a state ofeuphoria and deemed the little
prince of fashion.
Between 1958 and 1960, yvesSaint Laurent designed six
(08:07):
collections for Dior.
His second collection for Dior,presented in fall 58, with
lowered hemlines by about fiveinches, and it did not receive
the same level of approval, withmany even considering it a
misstep by the brand.
For the Spring 59 collection,mark Bohan was hired to assist
(08:27):
Saint Laurent.
This collection brought linksback to the knee and that was
received much better.
But then in his third release,there was a press statement that
came out that said the figurewas lost in favor of style.
His last collection for Dior,named Souplet les Gris de Fé,
was very dark, featuring purplesand grays.
(08:49):
There was a crocodile-styledleather jacket paired with a
turtleneck, and it madeSaint-Laurent seem a bit like a
provocative designer.
The collection was notunanimously well-received and in
1960, saint-laurent was calledback to his home country of
Algeria to fight for itsindependence during the Algerian
(09:10):
War.
After the disastrous 1958season, the brand reversed
course and asked that thedesigner be conscripted so that
he would be replaced.
Saint Laurent was in themilitary for 20 days before the
stress of hazing by fellowsoldiers led him to be admitted
(09:31):
to a military hospital.
I feel that in my soul you willnot catch me dead in the
military because I won't last 20days.
I might not even last 20 hours,but he had secured an exemption
based on health grounds.
However, when he went to returnto Paris, his job with Dior had
disappeared.
He received news that he hadbeen fired from Dior and to be
(09:55):
replaced by Marc Bohan, hisassistant, which exacerbated his
conditions and he wastransferred to Val-de-grace
Military Hospital where he wasgiven large doses of sedatives
and psychoactive drugs andsubjected to electroshock
therapy.
His release from the hospitalwas in November of 1960, and he
(10:19):
sued Dior for breach of contractand won reach of contract and
won collecting 48,000 poundsEuros.
After his time at Dior, he andhis partner, industrialist
Pierre Bourget, idealized thefashion house Yves Saint Laurent
, or YSL, with funds fromAmerican millionaire J Mack
(10:41):
Robinson cosmetic companyCharles of the Ritz.
Many Dior staff joined him athis new enterprise and Saint
Laurent and Berger were brieflyromantically involved but split
and remained business partnersin 1976.
Ysl and Pierre Berger were bothpresent at Dior's funeral.
(11:05):
However, they would not meetuntil a few months later.
The debut YSL collection waspresented in spring 62, and the
cutouts modeled would be popularin fashion for a few years.
The second collection for fall,62,.
The house was celebrated asthis was his best since his
(11:27):
58-hit trapeze collection forDior.
The collection was ranked withthat among Givenchy as the best
in Paris.
In the 60s, saint Laurentintroduced and contributed to
fashion trends such as thebeatnik look in 62, the pea coat
, as well as in 62, thigh-highboots, the women's tuxedo jacket
(11:52):
, boots, the women's tuxedojacket, safari jackets for both
men and women.
Many of his designs wereinspired by women's lives in the
socio-political climate of thetime, and he was the main
designer responsible for makingmore widely acceptable wearing
of pants by women.
Laurent brought in new changesto the fashion industry in the
(12:13):
60s and 70s.
During the 60s he introducedtransparent and sheer tops to
his collection in an effort toassert gender equality, kind of
like the Free the Knit movement.
He was like one of the first tolean into that.
Undoubtedly, saint Laurent wasthe first to completely merge
art and fashion and put art onthe runway and countless
(12:37):
garments that featured existingart pieces in themselves.
It was in his 1960s collectionwho would make up 26 looks
inspired by Mondrian's 1920color compositions.
In 1966, it released acollection inspired by pop art.
In 66, it released a collectioninspired by pop art, rant felt
the need to expand his empire ina way that would allow more
women to wear his creations.
(13:00):
Women should be put on apedestal, he said, with the
world at their feet.
He was an active campaigner forsocial liberation, really
supported wifehood, motherhoodand career, deeming that women
could indeed have it all,including a wardrobe that was
(13:24):
both functional and feminine,sexy and fashionable.
This helped shape his decisionto launch a ready-to-wear line
In 1966, yves Saint Laurentcontinued to innovate.
He showed women how to dresswearing heels with their
trousers, or trance coats overtheir evening wear.
He also showed women how toreally mix it up with feminine
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creations having a tinge of amasculine twist.
With a 66 tuxedo from SaintLaurent, the French designer
opened his Pret-a-Porter house,ysl Rive Gauche, in 1967, as he
was starting to shift his focusfrom haute couture to
ready-to-wear.
If you remember from lastepisode, pret-a-porter is just
(14:07):
ready-to-wear the first Frenchcouturier to successfully launch
a ready-to-wear line in Paris.
It earned immediate success andwas distinct from previous
conceptions of ready-to-wear,simply thought of as less
luxurious versions of hautecouture concepts.
One of the purposes was toprovide a wider range of
(14:28):
fashionable styles for a moreaffordable and cheap price.
This is considered one of thefirst French coutures couturiers
to come out with a fullPredaporter couture house.
The first customer of this linewas Catherine Deneve.
In the 1970s, ysl was consideredthe most prominent designer in
the world, adapting his designsto modern women's needs, leaning
(14:52):
into comfortable and wearable.
Adapting his designs to modernwomen's needs, leaning into
comfortable and wearable.
It was also around this timethat YSL was often seen at clubs
in France and New York City andhe was known to be both a heavy
drinker and a frequent user ofsnow.
And he is credited withinitiating, in 1978, the
prominent shoulder padded stylesthat would honestly take over
(15:15):
the 80s, following his 78introduction of the big shoulder
pads look.
He relied on this restrictedset of styles based on largely
big shouldered jackets andnarrow skirts, and that didn't
really vary much in this decade.
He lost the formerinventiveness and he was one of
the last designers to give upshoulder pads.
(15:38):
He just would not let them go.
He soon after sold theready-to-wear business to Gucci
for some $1 billion in 1999 andshut down the couture house
completely when he retired in2002.
Yves Saint Laurent was met withmany accomplishments in his life
.
In 1983, saint Laurent becamethe first living fashion
(15:59):
designer to be honored by theMetropolitan Museum of Art with
a solo exhibition.
Then, after a disastrous 1987Predaporter show in New York
City, he turned over thePredaporter line to his
assistants later selling toGucci.
And in 2001, he was awarded therank of Commander of the Légion
(16:20):
d'honneur by French PresidentJacques Serac.
Again, ysl retired in 2002 andbecame increasingly reclusive.
In 2007, he was awarded againthe rank of Grand Officer de la
Légion d'Honneur by FrancePresident Nicolas Sarkozy.
Paul Perret was the first toestablish a connection between
(16:42):
haute couture and perfume.
He created his house signaturefragrance in 1921.
And Chanel followed closelywith releasing number 5, which
was a bold yet simple andtimeless scent.
And then, 1964, ysl followed inthe footsteps of these major
names and launched Y, his firstfragrance.
(17:05):
He wanted to be lush and heavyperfume.
At just 21, he opened his veryown couture house, enabling him
to truly express his creativeand fashion expertise.
So this meant perfume time.
In 1964, he created his firstfragrance.
Why?
A collaboration with Jean Amic.
(17:27):
It was an olfactory expressionof the elegance and luxury of
his couture fashion, tailoredfor the beautiful women he
dressed.
In its original packaging, thegreen cyphery juice was housed
in a bottle cut to reflect thesilhouette of a woman's head and
shoulders.
The letter Y was placed torepresent the neckline on her
(17:47):
dress.
In 1971, YSL launched his firstfragrance for men, port Aume by
YSL.
It was a comforting andsophisticated scent coupled by
modernity and audacity.
He created a fragrance for theindependent, free-spirited woman
who loved to shop at hisboutique Riv Gauche.
I keep reading Riv Gauche andseeing Give Roche, so that is
(18:12):
not fun for me at all.
The fragrances were presentedin classically feminine bottles,
best stored on the dressingtable at the home.
This was the first fragrance tobe launched packaged in a tin
can.
In 77, ysl wanted to glorifyanother facet of ysl femininity,
sensuality and seductivenesswith ysl's Opium, the amber and
(18:35):
vanilla, made by perfumers JeanAmique and Jean-Louis Susiak.
This audaciously namedfragrance sparked immediate
controversy.
Testers were stolen, posterswere ripped down and stores sold
out in a matter of hours on thelaunch date.
It was a very polarizing scent,but decades later, opium has
(19:00):
never ceased to reinvent itself.
Laurent paid tribute to thecity that has always loved and
supported him, paris, with aquintessential floral fragrance.
For the women of YSL, itlaunches with brilliant top
notes of peach and nectarine,with warm hearts of oak moss and
cinnamon.
(19:20):
2014 black opium composed byfour master perfumers Marie
Salamange, natalie Lorson,oliver Cresp and Honorine Blanc,
with Eddie Campbell as its faceof the designer.
Saint Laurent's design sat atthe top of the fashion world
(19:42):
Blazers and smoking jackets andintroduced attire like the
peacoat on the runway.
Signature pieces also includedthe sheer blouse and the
jumpsuit.
I love a jumpsuit, so knowingthat, I get to attribute it to
YSL fabulous Couldn't loveanything more.
To be honest, on June 1st 2008,yves Saint Laurent was
(20:02):
diagnosed with brain cancer Athis residence in Paris.
He and Berger had been joinedin a same-sex civil union known
as Pacte Civil des SolitairesPACS for short in France.
His diagnosis was terminal,with only a few weeks left to
live, but Berger and the doctormutually decided that it would
(20:25):
be better if he didn't know howlong he had left to live.
Along with his cancer diagnosis,ysl struggled a lot with drug
addiction and mental healthissues.
He traces this origin back towhen he was in his hospital in
his hospital era post-war.
His body was cremated and hisashes were scattered in
(20:48):
Marrakech, morocco, in February2009.
After his death, an auction of733 items was held by Christie's
at the Grand Palais, rangingfrom paintings by Picasso to
ancient Egyptian sculptures.
Pierre Bergé opted to sell thecollection and took the proceeds
to pose a creation for a newfoundation for AIDS research.
(21:11):
His death was announced byPierre Berger that he had died
at the age of 71.
Pierre remembers Saint Laurentfondly.
He says Gabrielle Chanel gavewomen freedom.
Yves Saint Laurent gave womenpower.
Alongside Coco Chanel andChristian Dior, saint Laurent
(21:31):
was considered a member of theFrench fashion world's Holy
Trinity.
Saint Laurent coined styles forwomen that changed the way they
dress in the modern world.
His influence can still be seentoday, arguably more so than
Chanel's and Dior's.
Christian Lecroy says that thereason for Saint Laurent's
success was his versatility.
(21:52):
Chanel, schiaparelli,balenciaga and Dior all did
extraordinary things, but workedwithin a particular style.
Ysl is like a combination ofall of them.
Diana Vreeland, the legendaryAmerican fashion magazine editor
, dubbed him Pied Piper offashion.
(22:13):
She says whatever he does,women of all ages from all over
the world follow.
He's so influential.
Heidi Slimane, who was namedcreative director of the brand
in 2012, changed the brand'sname from Yves Saint Laurent to
just Saint Laurent Paris.
This rebranding also includedthe incorporation of an edgy
(22:34):
aesthetic, with celebrities likeZoe Kravitz becoming frequent
endorsers of the brand.
Today, blackpink's Rosé is thebiggest brand ambassador.
Heidi revived the brand.
He also changed Weissel's focuson elegant and avant-garde
styles to one that wouldincorporate more rebellious
(22:56):
pieces such as rock and streetstyle, to open up the market for
young consumers.
Heidi also redesigned thecampaign and the brand's website
consistently and used hisexpertise in photography as part
of the new brand image.
Today, the brand is under thecreative direction of Anthony
Varcaglio since 2016.
(23:19):
He built a solid foundation forits development and is pursuing
its evolution to continueenhancing its influence in the
market.
In 2017, a museum dedicated toYSL's work opened in his former
Haute Couture house in Paris.
Some of his legacies includenipped in trousers, slinky
tuxedos and safari jackets.
(23:39):
They still look perfectlymodern decades after their
shocking debuts.
Saint Laurent's styleepitomized a certain way of
seductive, wealthy andintelligent French women.
Again, catherine Deneau was hismuse.
She frequently sat in the frontrow at his shows, and this look
that YSL went for is stilldesirable today as it was 40
(24:04):
years ago.
His shamelessly sexy clothesdovetailed perfectly with
feminism's inception, as did hisadvent of trousers for a
women's daily wardrobe.
He was one of the first to useblack models, and he also is
credited with beginning todemocratize the fashion world by
shifting the industry'sattention from rarefied haute
(24:26):
couture to relatively moreaccessible pret-a-porter.
The brand is owned by Kering aspart of the Gucci group.
Yves Saint Laurent is a luxurybrand specializing in both men's
and women's ready-to-wear, inaddition to handbags.
Brand specializing in bothmen's and women's ready-to-wear,
in addition to handbags, shoes,accessories, sunglasses,
(24:52):
fragrances and cosmetics.
In 1961, ysl has had bothfinancial success and good
aesthetics.
Saint Laurent has been asecond-tier brand for the caring
group in the past.
However, they did see a spikefrom the first quarter of 2021
to the first quarter of 2022,where Saint Laurent became the
brand with the best revenueperformance in the first
quarters, with a 43% increase.
(25:14):
So what makes Saint Laurent'sperformance so interesting?
What is bringing in thisperformance?
So one of the big things aretheir ready-to-wear products,
their shoes, their leather goods.
70% of the brand's turnover isfrom leather goods and leather
production.
Another factor is pricing.
The price range forready-to-wear is $30 to $3,100
(25:39):
and for a handbag it's anywherefrom $1,700 to $7,800.
So, due to being moreaccessible, it attracts younger
consumers through this handbagpricing strategy.
The cheapest bag is priced atabout $1,300 USD.
And again, the new ambassador,such as Rosé from Blackpink,
with the huge fan base of K-popicons, lead the younger
(26:03):
generation to finding newattractions in the brand.
Third is the strategic storeconcepts.
Saint Laurent stands out fromcompeting brands thanks to its
projection in upscale boutiquesand is the most prestigious
department shops.
Prestigious department shops.
(26:25):
Ysl subverted the conservativedressing style using lace
smoking suit design so thatwomen could be liberated and
free in dressing.
In 1966, yves Saint Laurentboldly pioneered an androgynous
style, designing the firstwomen's smoking suit.
Without Saint Laurent as women,people might not even have the
right to wear trance coats.
Now the rise of femaleconsciousness, unisex outfits is
(26:46):
not just a style trend, but themeaning behind it is also a
symbol of women breaking freefrom the shackles that Coco
Chanel also liberated us fromwith the corsets.
Ysl empowers women.
Yves-henri Donat, mathieuSaint-Laurent possesses the
(27:06):
romantic traits of a creativeperson.
Yves Saint-Laurentdistinguished himself by
creating modern classics.
Ysl changed the way women viewclothing.
He is a cultural icon, Fromshoulder pads to spearheading
the free, the knit movement.
He's a designer worthtreasuring and I hope to
continue to explore hisrepertoire.
(27:28):
I did save this best for lastbecause I wanted to talk about
my most favorite perfume, whichis YSL Leib Little Miss Doula
Peep and the Leib commercialssold me on this fragrance in
2021.
And I've been addicted to thisyoung woman ever since.
So I grabbed a couple of statsfrom Google AI, mainly because I
(27:51):
was relying on my own love forthis scent to carry me through
most of it.
But I'm gonna read some statsif you don't mind.
The development of Leib beganin 2011 and took seven years to
complete.
It is kind of heartbreakingthat YSL himself will never be
able to smell this, because Ilove it so much and it's it's
just delicious.
(28:11):
The original fragrance's codename was Boyish Lieb has since
expanded into five variations,including L'Hive Intense, which
was released in 2020.
My take on this fragrance isthat it is as if Elegance and
Conti married each other and hada champagne soiree to celebrate
(28:36):
the festivities.
I love her so much.
I did bring her with me torecord this, so I'm just
sniffing it as I talk to you.
I've had the same bottle since2021, and she's dwindling
quickly, so I'm going to need tobuy a new one.
I love her.
I genuinely love her so much.
This is my signature scent.
I wear her every day if I'm nottrying a new one or if I'm not
(29:00):
in the mood to try a differentone.
She's my tried and true.
I would name my firstborn childafter her.
Well, I'd have to talk to myhusband about that first.
Actually, I love her.
I love her so much.
Anyway, that is Yves SaintLaurent.
I am just enamored by that man.
(29:22):
I hope you enjoyed.
I hope you learned somethingnew.
I didn't go too much into likethe business business part post
YSL's death, truly, because itwasn't something I was
interested in, but I willprovide my links so you can go
read about that if that piquesyour interest.
But yes, thank you forlistening.
(29:43):
I hope you found it somewhatentertaining and please, please,
give this show a rating.
I'd prefer five stars, but youdo what feels true to you and
yourself.
Go ahead and follow the show,please.
Girl, I'm trying to be famous,so, thank you, I'll have my
links in the bio if you want tokeep up with me.
(30:04):
Um, I'm not.
I spoke about this in thefashion week pod.
I'm not super on social mediaright now, but I mean that is
just bound to change because I'mgonna get bored.
I've been microdosing real lifelately, and by microdosing I
mean trying to stay off my phonebut, as mentioned when I
started, the pod not doing toowell on it.
(30:26):
So, yeah, okay, bye, guys,appreciate you.
Hi divas, and welcome to Magnifique, your favorite
fashion designer deep divepodcast.
I'm your host, gabrielle, andtoday we talk about Saint
Laurent.
But first, how we doing Todayis kind of a weird day for me.
I've noticed that if I start myday while being like and
(00:20):
grabbing my phone immediately,my day is kind of just a wash.
And guess what I did thismorning?
Yup, I got on my phone and Ihaven't put it down, and this is
post TikTok.
I've been watching YouTubeshorts all day.
So we're really dealing withthat.
Phone addiction is a real thing.
I understand.
(00:42):
I am trying to have asuperiority complex, so step one
is addressing it and maybe oneday we'll fix it.
But for now, I come to you inmy oversized One Direction
blanket hoodie to discussstaying the round.
So welcome, get all cozy.
Yes, even you in your caryou're driving right now.
(01:04):
Go ahead and grab a blanket,warm up a cup of hot chocolate.
Come on, guys, let's go on anadventure.
So Saint Laurent is a couturepowerhouse, someone who
revolutionized women's fashionwhile also influencing women's
liberation.
His longtime business partner,pierre Pierre Briget, is cited
(01:25):
saying Gabrielle Chanel gavewomen freedom, yves Saint
Laurent gave them power.
Maybe this is some internalizedmisogyny that I need to address
within myself.
But it always does give mepause when a male designer goes
immediately to designing women'sclothing.
(01:46):
My first thought is why?
Why do I feel that way?
You might be asking that.
I've asked myself that and I'mnot sure.
Perhaps it's due to a lack ofknowledge.
So I do reserve the right tochange my opinion, and I did.
I did change my opinion whileresearching YSL.
You can tell that he doesn'tlove women, but he loves women,
(02:09):
and you can see that shine inevery piece that he masters up.
So I chose this topic because Ihad long heard about Yves Saint
Laurent being a star in thefashion space, a one-of-a-kind
designer who pushed theboundaries of fashion, though I
still never knew the details orextent of his reach.
(02:30):
So I set out on this journeyand now I hold the deepest
respect for him and his legacy.
What a treat it was to learnabout such a fashion prodigy.
So Yves-Henri Donat MathieuSaint-Laurent was born on August
1st 1936 in Oran, algeria, toFrench parents, charles and
(02:52):
Lucien André MathieuSaint-Laurent.
Now why is everyone in fashiona Leo?
I have been noticing this timeand time again.
All y'all are born in August.
What's going on.
Is it the stars, who's to say?
Anyway, he grew up in asister's household by the
Mediterranean Sea, with twoyounger sisters, michelle and
(03:14):
Bridget.
You know how I feel aboutsister households.
I really resonate with sisterhouseholds.
I resonate with sister people.
He loved to create intricatepaper dolls for his sisters and
into his teen years he enjoyeddesigning dresses for his mother
and sister to don.
He comes from a locallyaffluent family.
With the Mathieu Saint-Laurentfamily arriving in Algeria in
(03:37):
the 1870s.
Yves Saint-Laurent'sgreat-grandfather, pierre
Mathieu de Metz, fled Alsace.
So Yves Saint Laurent went to astrict Catholic school where he
had some trouble thriving.
I too struggled to thrive inCatholic school, however.
Mine was just kindergarten.
(03:57):
Saint Laurent was not popularin school and was often bullied
by his schoolmates for appearingto be a little flamboyant.
He was a bit of a nervous childand sick nearly every day, but
he found solace in the world offashion.
At home he took refuge in theworld where he created all of
(04:18):
his drawings and designs, and atthe age of 17, he won first
place in a contest by theInternational Wool Secretariat
and was invited to attend theaward ceremony.
His mother then took him toParis, where she had arranged to
meet with Michael de Braunhoff,the éditeur French Vogue.
(04:40):
He then moved to Paris where heenrolled at the Chambre
Syndicale de la Haute Couturewho remembers Haute Couture from
last episode, thank you,charles Frederick Wirth where
his designs quickly gainednotice.
Mitchell de Brunhoff, theeditor of Vogue, introduced
Saint-Laurent to designerChristian Dior.
(05:02):
Saint Laurent decided sayingDior fascinated me.
I couldn't speak in front ofhim.
He taught me the basis of myart and with Dior's tutelage
Saint Laurent's style continuedto mature and gain even more
notice.
Dior hired him as an assistantand later named him the
successor of the brand.
(05:23):
So he graduated from theChambre Syndicale de la Haute
Couture that is such a long nameI feel like I have to rush
through it, the ChambreSyndicale de la Haute Couture.
He graduated as a star pupiland he re-entered the
International Wool Secretécompetition again and won,
(05:46):
beating out German student KarlLagerfeld.
Dior recognized his talentimmediately and Laurent spent
his first years at the House ofDior on kind of mundane tasks
decorating the studios,designing accessories, designing
(06:08):
accessories, decorating forshows.
He really did it all.
But he was also allowed tosubmit sketches for the couture
collection Each season.
Dior gradually accepted moreand more sketches from Saint
Laurent and some of Dior'scollection from this time would
contain themes that appear laterin Saint Laurent's independent
work, such as the smock tops andthe safari jackets from Dior's
(06:35):
1957 Libre line.
In August 1957, dior met SaintLaurent's mom and chose Saint
Laurent to succeed him asdesigner.
Dior then passed away twomonths later, in October 1957,
from a heart attack during hisstay in Italy.
According to his wishes, saintLaurent became his successor and
named artistic director ofHaute Couture at just the age of
(06:58):
21.
The head designer of the Houseof Dior, really so.
His first spring-summer 58collection almost certainly
saved the enterprise fromfinancial ruins.
The collection which wasscheduled to present on January
30th, he created over 600drawings in just 15 days and at
(07:22):
10 am and just 15 days and at 10am on Thursday, january 30th
1958, eustain Laurent presentedhis first collection for
Christian Dior.
An hour later there was astanding ovation for his
collection, his masterpiece, andthis collection was called the
Trapeze Line.
It was a variation of Dior's55A line, but it catapulted him
(07:46):
to international stardom.
The collection featured anarrow shoulder that flared ever
so gently to the hem, just tocover the knee.
The press was in a state ofeuphoria and deemed the little
prince of fashion.
Between 1958 and 1960, yvesSaint Laurent designed six
(08:07):
collections for Dior.
His second collection for Dior,presented in fall 58, with
lowered hemlines by about fiveinches, and it did not receive
the same level of approval, withmany even considering it a
misstep by the brand.
For the Spring 59 collection,mark Bohan was hired to assist
(08:27):
Saint Laurent.
This collection brought linksback to the knee and that was
received much better.
But then in his third release,there was a press statement that
came out that said the figurewas lost in favor of style.
His last collection for Dior,named Souplet les Gris de Fé,
was very dark, featuring purplesand grays.
(08:49):
There was a crocodile-styledleather jacket paired with a
turtleneck, and it madeSaint-Laurent seem a bit like a
provocative designer.
The collection was notunanimously well-received and in
1960, saint-laurent was calledback to his home country of
Algeria to fight for itsindependence during the Algerian
(09:10):
War.
After the disastrous 1958season, the brand reversed
course and asked that thedesigner be conscripted so that
he would be replaced.
Saint Laurent was in themilitary for 20 days before the
stress of hazing by fellowsoldiers led him to be admitted
(09:31):
to a military hospital.
I feel that in my soul you willnot catch me dead in the
military because I won't last 20days.
I might not even last 20 hours,but he had secured an exemption
based on health grounds.
However, when he went to returnto Paris, his job with Dior had
disappeared.
He received news that he hadbeen fired from Dior and to be
(09:55):
replaced by Marc Bohan, hisassistant, which exacerbated his
conditions and he wastransferred to Val-de-grace
Military Hospital where he wasgiven large doses of sedatives
and psychoactive drugs andsubjected to electroshock
therapy.
His release from the hospitalwas in November of 1960, and he
(10:19):
sued Dior for breach of contractand won reach of contract and
won collecting 48,000 poundsEuros.
After his time at Dior, he andhis partner, industrialist
Pierre Bourget, idealized thefashion house Yves Saint Laurent
, or YSL, with funds fromAmerican millionaire J Mack
(10:41):
Robinson cosmetic companyCharles of the Ritz.
Many Dior staff joined him athis new enterprise and Saint
Laurent and Berger were brieflyromantically involved but split
and remained business partnersin 1976.
Ysl and Pierre Berger were bothpresent at Dior's funeral.
(11:05):
However, they would not meetuntil a few months later.
The debut YSL collection waspresented in spring 62, and the
cutouts modeled would be popularin fashion for a few years.
The second collection for fall,62,.
The house was celebrated asthis was his best since his
(11:27):
58-hit trapeze collection forDior.
The collection was ranked withthat among Givenchy as the best
in Paris.
In the 60s, saint Laurentintroduced and contributed to
fashion trends such as thebeatnik look in 62, the pea coat
, as well as in 62, thigh-highboots, the women's tuxedo jacket
(11:52):
, boots, the women's tuxedojacket, safari jackets for both
men and women.
Many of his designs wereinspired by women's lives in the
socio-political climate of thetime, and he was the main
designer responsible for makingmore widely acceptable wearing
of pants by women.
Laurent brought in new changesto the fashion industry in the
(12:13):
60s and 70s.
During the 60s he introducedtransparent and sheer tops to
his collection in an effort toassert gender equality, kind of
like the Free the Knit movement.
He was like one of the first tolean into that.
Undoubtedly, saint Laurent wasthe first to completely merge
art and fashion and put art onthe runway and countless
(12:37):
garments that featured existingart pieces in themselves.
It was in his 1960s collectionwho would make up 26 looks
inspired by Mondrian's 1920color compositions.
In 1966, it released acollection inspired by pop art.
In 66, it released a collectioninspired by pop art, rant felt
the need to expand his empire ina way that would allow more
women to wear his creations.
(13:00):
Women should be put on apedestal, he said, with the
world at their feet.
He was an active campaigner forsocial liberation, really
supported wifehood, motherhoodand career, deeming that women
could indeed have it all,including a wardrobe that was
(13:24):
both functional and feminine,sexy and fashionable.
This helped shape his decisionto launch a ready-to-wear line
In 1966, yves Saint Laurentcontinued to innovate.
He showed women how to dresswearing heels with their
trousers, or trance coats overtheir evening wear.
He also showed women how toreally mix it up with feminine
(13:46):
creations having a tinge of amasculine twist.
With a 66 tuxedo from SaintLaurent, the French designer
opened his Pret-a-Porter house,ysl Rive Gauche, in 1967, as he
was starting to shift his focusfrom haute couture to
ready-to-wear.
If you remember from lastepisode, pret-a-porter is just
(14:07):
ready-to-wear the first Frenchcouturier to successfully launch
a ready-to-wear line in Paris.
It earned immediate success andwas distinct from previous
conceptions of ready-to-wear,simply thought of as less
luxurious versions of hautecouture concepts.
One of the purposes was toprovide a wider range of
(14:28):
fashionable styles for a moreaffordable and cheap price.
This is considered one of thefirst French coutures couturiers
to come out with a fullPredaporter couture house.
The first customer of this linewas Catherine Deneve.
In the 1970s, ysl was consideredthe most prominent designer in
the world, adapting his designsto modern women's needs, leaning
(14:52):
into comfortable and wearable.
Adapting his designs to modernwomen's needs, leaning into
comfortable and wearable.
It was also around this timethat YSL was often seen at clubs
in France and New York City andhe was known to be both a heavy
drinker and a frequent user ofsnow.
And he is credited withinitiating, in 1978, the
prominent shoulder padded stylesthat would honestly take over
(15:15):
the 80s, following his 78introduction of the big shoulder
pads look.
He relied on this restrictedset of styles based on largely
big shouldered jackets andnarrow skirts, and that didn't
really vary much in this decade.
He lost the formerinventiveness and he was one of
the last designers to give upshoulder pads.
(15:38):
He just would not let them go.
He soon after sold theready-to-wear business to Gucci
for some $1 billion in 1999 andshut down the couture house
completely when he retired in2002.
Yves Saint Laurent was met withmany accomplishments in his life
.
In 1983, saint Laurent becamethe first living fashion
(15:59):
designer to be honored by theMetropolitan Museum of Art with
a solo exhibition.
Then, after a disastrous 1987Predaporter show in New York
City, he turned over thePredaporter line to his
assistants later selling toGucci.
And in 2001, he was awarded therank of Commander of the Légion
(16:20):
d'honneur by French PresidentJacques Serac.
Again, ysl retired in 2002 andbecame increasingly reclusive.
In 2007, he was awarded againthe rank of Grand Officer de la
Légion d'Honneur by FrancePresident Nicolas Sarkozy.
Paul Perret was the first toestablish a connection between
(16:42):
haute couture and perfume.
He created his house signaturefragrance in 1921.
And Chanel followed closelywith releasing number 5, which
was a bold yet simple andtimeless scent.
And then, 1964, ysl followed inthe footsteps of these major
names and launched Y, his firstfragrance.
(17:05):
He wanted to be lush and heavyperfume.
At just 21, he opened his veryown couture house, enabling him
to truly express his creativeand fashion expertise.
So this meant perfume time.
In 1964, he created his firstfragrance.
Why?
A collaboration with Jean Amic.
(17:27):
It was an olfactory expressionof the elegance and luxury of
his couture fashion, tailoredfor the beautiful women he
dressed.
In its original packaging, thegreen cyphery juice was housed
in a bottle cut to reflect thesilhouette of a woman's head and
shoulders.
The letter Y was placed torepresent the neckline on her
(17:47):
dress.
In 1971, YSL launched his firstfragrance for men, port Aume by
YSL.
It was a comforting andsophisticated scent coupled by
modernity and audacity.
He created a fragrance for theindependent, free-spirited woman
who loved to shop at hisboutique Riv Gauche.
I keep reading Riv Gauche andseeing Give Roche, so that is
(18:12):
not fun for me at all.
The fragrances were presentedin classically feminine bottles,
best stored on the dressingtable at the home.
This was the first fragrance tobe launched packaged in a tin
can.
In 77, ysl wanted to glorifyanother facet of ysl femininity,
sensuality and seductivenesswith ysl's Opium, the amber and
(18:35):
vanilla, made by perfumers JeanAmique and Jean-Louis Susiak.
This audaciously namedfragrance sparked immediate
controversy.
Testers were stolen, posterswere ripped down and stores sold
out in a matter of hours on thelaunch date.
It was a very polarizing scent,but decades later, opium has
(19:00):
never ceased to reinvent itself.
Laurent paid tribute to thecity that has always loved and
supported him, paris, with aquintessential floral fragrance.
For the women of YSL, itlaunches with brilliant top
notes of peach and nectarine,with warm hearts of oak moss and
cinnamon.
(19:20):
2014 black opium composed byfour master perfumers Marie
Salamange, natalie Lorson,oliver Cresp and Honorine Blanc,
with Eddie Campbell as its faceof the designer.
Saint Laurent's design sat atthe top of the fashion world
(19:42):
Blazers and smoking jackets andintroduced attire like the
peacoat on the runway.
Signature pieces also includedthe sheer blouse and the
jumpsuit.
I love a jumpsuit, so knowingthat, I get to attribute it to
YSL fabulous Couldn't loveanything more.
To be honest, on June 1st 2008,yves Saint Laurent was
(20:02):
diagnosed with brain cancer Athis residence in Paris.
He and Berger had been joinedin a same-sex civil union known
as Pacte Civil des SolitairesPACS for short in France.
His diagnosis was terminal,with only a few weeks left to
live, but Berger and the doctormutually decided that it would
(20:25):
be better if he didn't know howlong he had left to live.
Along with his cancer diagnosis,ysl struggled a lot with drug
addiction and mental healthissues.
He traces this origin back towhen he was in his hospital in
his hospital era post-war.
His body was cremated and hisashes were scattered in
(20:48):
Marrakech, morocco, in February2009.
After his death, an auction of733 items was held by Christie's
at the Grand Palais, rangingfrom paintings by Picasso to
ancient Egyptian sculptures.
Pierre Bergé opted to sell thecollection and took the proceeds
to pose a creation for a newfoundation for AIDS research.
(21:11):
His death was announced byPierre Berger that he had died
at the age of 71.
Pierre remembers Saint Laurentfondly.
He says Gabrielle Chanel gavewomen freedom.
Yves Saint Laurent gave womenpower.
Alongside Coco Chanel andChristian Dior, saint Laurent
(21:31):
was considered a member of theFrench fashion world's Holy
Trinity.
Saint Laurent coined styles forwomen that changed the way they
dress in the modern world.
His influence can still be seentoday, arguably more so than
Chanel's and Dior's.
Christian Lecroy says that thereason for Saint Laurent's
success was his versatility.
(21:52):
Chanel, schiaparelli,balenciaga and Dior all did
extraordinary things, but workedwithin a particular style.
Ysl is like a combination ofall of them.
Diana Vreeland, the legendaryAmerican fashion magazine editor
, dubbed him Pied Piper offashion.
(22:13):
She says whatever he does,women of all ages from all over
the world follow.
He's so influential.
Heidi Slimane, who was namedcreative director of the brand
in 2012, changed the brand'sname from Yves Saint Laurent to
just Saint Laurent Paris.
This rebranding also includedthe incorporation of an edgy
(22:34):
aesthetic, with celebrities likeZoe Kravitz becoming frequent
endorsers of the brand.
Today, blackpink's Rosé is thebiggest brand ambassador.
Heidi revived the brand.
He also changed Weissel's focuson elegant and avant-garde
styles to one that wouldincorporate more rebellious
(22:56):
pieces such as rock and streetstyle, to open up the market for
young consumers.
Heidi also redesigned thecampaign and the brand's website
consistently and used hisexpertise in photography as part
of the new brand image.
Today, the brand is under thecreative direction of Anthony
Varcaglio since 2016.
(23:19):
He built a solid foundation forits development and is pursuing
its evolution to continueenhancing its influence in the
market.
In 2017, a museum dedicated toYSL's work opened in his former
Haute Couture house in Paris.
Some of his legacies includenipped in trousers, slinky
tuxedos and safari jackets.
(23:39):
They still look perfectlymodern decades after their
shocking debuts.
Saint Laurent's styleepitomized a certain way of
seductive, wealthy andintelligent French women.
Again, catherine Deneau was hismuse.
She frequently sat in the frontrow at his shows, and this look
that YSL went for is stilldesirable today as it was 40
(24:04):
years ago.
His shamelessly sexy clothesdovetailed perfectly with
feminism's inception, as did hisadvent of trousers for a
women's daily wardrobe.
He was one of the first to useblack models, and he also is
credited with beginning todemocratize the fashion world by
shifting the industry'sattention from rarefied haute
(24:26):
couture to relatively moreaccessible pret-a-porter.
The brand is owned by Kering aspart of the Gucci group.
Yves Saint Laurent is a luxurybrand specializing in both men's
and women's ready-to-wear, inaddition to handbags.
Brand specializing in bothmen's and women's ready-to-wear,
in addition to handbags, shoes,accessories, sunglasses,
(24:52):
fragrances and cosmetics.
In 1961, ysl has had bothfinancial success and good
aesthetics.
Saint Laurent has been asecond-tier brand for the caring
group in the past.
However, they did see a spikefrom the first quarter of 2021
to the first quarter of 2022,where Saint Laurent became the
brand with the best revenueperformance in the first
quarters, with a 43% increase.
(25:14):
So what makes Saint Laurent'sperformance so interesting?
What is bringing in thisperformance?
So one of the big things aretheir ready-to-wear products,
their shoes, their leather goods.
70% of the brand's turnover isfrom leather goods and leather
production.
Another factor is pricing.
The price range forready-to-wear is $30 to $3,100
(25:39):
and for a handbag it's anywherefrom $1,700 to $7,800.
So, due to being moreaccessible, it attracts younger
consumers through this handbagpricing strategy.
The cheapest bag is priced atabout $1,300 USD.
And again, the new ambassador,such as Rosé from Blackpink,
with the huge fan base of K-popicons, lead the younger
(26:03):
generation to finding newattractions in the brand.
Third is the strategic storeconcepts.
Saint Laurent stands out fromcompeting brands thanks to its
projection in upscale boutiquesand is the most prestigious
department shops.
Prestigious department shops.
(26:25):
Ysl subverted the conservativedressing style using lace
smoking suit design so thatwomen could be liberated and
free in dressing.
In 1966, yves Saint Laurentboldly pioneered an androgynous
style, designing the firstwomen's smoking suit.
Without Saint Laurent as women,people might not even have the
right to wear trance coats.
Now the rise of femaleconsciousness, unisex outfits is
(26:46):
not just a style trend, but themeaning behind it is also a
symbol of women breaking freefrom the shackles that Coco
Chanel also liberated us fromwith the corsets.
Ysl empowers women.
Yves-henri Donat, mathieuSaint-Laurent possesses the
(27:06):
romantic traits of a creativeperson.
Yves Saint-Laurentdistinguished himself by
creating modern classics.
Ysl changed the way women viewclothing.
He is a cultural icon, Fromshoulder pads to spearheading
the free, the knit movement.
He's a designer worthtreasuring and I hope to
continue to explore hisrepertoire.
(27:28):
I did save this best for lastbecause I wanted to talk about
my most favorite perfume, whichis YSL Leib Little Miss Doula
Peep and the Leib commercialssold me on this fragrance in
2021.
And I've been addicted to thisyoung woman ever since.
So I grabbed a couple of statsfrom Google AI, mainly because I
(27:51):
was relying on my own love forthis scent to carry me through
most of it.
But I'm gonna read some statsif you don't mind.
The development of Leib beganin 2011 and took seven years to
complete.
It is kind of heartbreakingthat YSL himself will never be
able to smell this, because Ilove it so much and it's it's
just delicious.
(28:11):
The original fragrance's codename was Boyish Lieb has since
expanded into five variations,including L'Hive Intense, which
was released in 2020.
My take on this fragrance isthat it is as if Elegance and
Conti married each other and hada champagne soiree to celebrate
(28:36):
the festivities.
I love her so much.
I did bring her with me torecord this, so I'm just
sniffing it as I talk to you.
I've had the same bottle since2021, and she's dwindling
quickly, so I'm going to need tobuy a new one.
I love her.
I genuinely love her so much.
This is my signature scent.
I wear her every day if I'm nottrying a new one or if I'm not
(29:00):
in the mood to try a differentone.
She's my tried and true.
I would name my firstborn childafter her.
Well, I'd have to talk to myhusband about that first.
Actually, I love her.
I love her so much.
Anyway, that is Yves SaintLaurent.
I am just enamored by that man.
(29:22):
I hope you enjoyed.
I hope you learned somethingnew.
I didn't go too much into likethe business business part post
YSL's death, truly, because itwasn't something I was
interested in, but I willprovide my links so you can go
read about that if that piquesyour interest.
But yes, thank you forlistening.
(29:43):
I hope you found it somewhatentertaining and please, please,
give this show a rating.
I'd prefer five stars, but youdo what feels true to you and
yourself.
Go ahead and follow the show,please.
Girl, I'm trying to be famous,so, thank you, I'll have my
links in the bio if you want tokeep up with me.
(30:04):
Um, I'm not.
I spoke about this in thefashion week pod.
I'm not super on social mediaright now, but I mean that is
just bound to change because I'mgonna get bored.
I've been microdosing real lifelately, and by microdosing I
mean trying to stay off my phonebut, as mentioned when I
started, the pod not doing toowell on it.
(30:26):
So, yeah, okay, bye, guys,appreciate you.
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