Yves Saint Laurent

We profile fashion design label Yves Saint Laurent

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Gimme the facts...

YSL,Yves Saint Laurent,designer,designer profile,fashion label,challenge designer Yves Saint Laurent At the age of 19 Yves Saint Laurent was hired by Christian Dior to become his one and only ever head assistant. Two years later in 1957 Dior died suddenly of a massive heart attack and, aged 21, Saint Laurent found himself at the helm of the world\'s most famous couture house, a position which stood him in good stead when he founded his eponymous label with his partner Pierre Bergé, in 1962. In the early days Saint Laurent was labeled the "bad boy" of fashion because of his form breaking designs. In the 1960s, women were banned from restaurants for wearing "YSL" trouser suits, and in the 1970s he provoked outrage when he showed a transparent chiffon blouse. Yves Saint Laurent also became the first French haute couturier to come out with a full prêt-à-porter (ready-to-wear) line, which bought high fashion to a much wider market. Yves continued at the helm until the label was sold to the Gucci group in 1999 whereupon Tom Ford took over. Yves continued designing his couture line until dogged by years of poor health he closed it down in 2002 and retired to his house in Marrakech. Since 2004 the prêt-à-porter line has been produced under the creative direction of Italian designer Stefano Pilati who has been credited with keeping the label true to its distinctly French origins.

What\'s all the fuss about?

YSL,Yves Saint Laurent,designer,designer profile,fashion label,challenge designer Yves Saint Laurent s/s 2009 Yves Saint Laurent is credited, along with Coco Chanel, with creating the modern woman\'s wardrobe. Almost every style and trend you can think, of it\'s a safe bet Yves got there first. The trapeze silhouette, beatnik, blazers, pin-striped trouser suits, tuxedos, safari jackets, tribal and body-con. He transformed trench coats, parka\'s and pea coats from workmen\'s uniforms into haute couture and was such a pioneer even he was known to remark that the only things he didn\'t popularise were jeans (one of his biggest professional regrets). Today under Stefano Pilati the brand has renewed energy and maintains its position as an almost cult brand with no small help from the clever marketing of the Tribute range (limited edition iconic bags and shoes), It-handbags and of course fantastically desirable clothes.

Who wears it?

YSL,Yves Saint Laurent,designer,designer profile,fashion label,challenge designer Claudia Schiffer & Stefano Pilati In its heyday YSL was the label of choice for a generation. Close friends included Catherine Deneuve (whose costumes he designed for her 1965 movie Belle De Jour and socialite Lulu de la Falaise, but it was the Studio 54 crowd who elevated his status to king of fashion. As model Marie Helvin once recalled he was "so much younger and cooler than the other couturiers such as Hubert Givenchy or Ungaro. He was the only designer who went to nightclubs. We used to go to the Club Sept. It was full of the coolest people in Paris. Andy Warhol was always there with Paloma Picasso. We would have dinner there and dance until dawn." Bianca Jagger famously got married to Mick Jagger wearing an YSL white tuxedo jacket. Today\'s fans include Gwyneth Paltrow, Naomi Campbell, Eva Herzigova, Claudia Schiffer, Kate Moss and Lindsay Lohan (both rarely out of their Tribute heels).

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