1970 YVES SAINT LAURENT gradient color floral coat with puff sleeves
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Length: 34 in (86.36 cm)Marked Size: fits a US 2 or 4. (EU)Bust: 35 in (88.9 cm)Waist: 31 in (78.74 cm)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Light signs of wear. Label has turned a darker shade due to age.
- Seller Location:San Fransisco, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU8122465232
Yves Saint Laurent
French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent pioneered “cross-design” in fashion, taking inspiration from street trends to modernize haute couture.
Saint Laurent was the first to launch a ready-to-wear label, YSL Rive Gauche Prêt-à-Porter. He was the first couturier to open boutiques for both men and women. Using traditional menswear fabrics and designs for women, Saint Laurent also literally cross-dressed, giving men and women alike chic pant suits, elegant tuxedo jackets and urban safari gear. By blurring gender-specific design, he empowered individual style while creating a scissor-sharp fashion aesthetic of sensual ease and beauty. Many of his designs are today considered timeless classics. Saint Laurent also consistently used Black models, like Mounia, Iman and Naomi Campbell, and he drew endless inspiration from different ethnicities and cultures, in no small part because of his Algerian roots.
Born to French parents in Oran, Algeria, in 1936, Saint Laurent went to Paris at age 17 to study fashion at the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture. Just two years later, in 1955, his remarkable sketches were shown to Christian Dior, then the world’s reigning couturier, who hired him immediately.
Surprisingly soon thereafter, Dior publicly chose Saint Laurent as his successor, which sadly proved prescient when the fashion legend died unexpectedly, in 1957. A mere slip of a youth, the 21-year-old Saint Laurent was nevertheless up to the challenge. He shook the traditional couture clientele to its core with youthful silhouettes and styles like the A-line trapeze dress that hung with seeming effortlessness from the shoulders, the antithesis of the pinched waists and molded skirts that had been all the rage after the deprivations of World War II.
After a mandated spell in the torturous French military, Saint Laurent suffered a nervous breakdown and was dismissed by Dior in 1962. Out of the ashes rose the Age of Yves. With Pierre Bergé, his then-lover who became his lifelong business partner and friend, the designer founded Yves Saint Laurent YSL to encompass prêt-à-porter, or ready-to-wear. In 1966, they opened the first YSL Rive Gauche women’s boutique in Paris, followed soon thereafter by YSL Rive Gauche for men. Saint Laurent had given birth to a global brand.
His revolutionary Mondrian mini dress from 1965 is a core element of his fashion biography. It is a prime example of how Saint Laurent, an avid art lover and collector, looked to painters, from Goya to Picasso, Ingres to Matisse, for inspiration.
With its pure lines and hues, Mondrian’s ground-breaking 1935 color-block painting Composition C transmutes beautifully into a dress that is highly valued by collectors of contemporary fashion and widely copied commercially to this day. The design is the epitome of Saint Laurent’s aesthetic, requiring a meticulous hand piecing of each color block so that, despite the body’s curves, the visual plane is as flat as a canvas when the garment is worn. Mondrian’s purity met its match in Saint Laurent.
“I am no longer concerned with sensation and innovation, but with the perfection of my style,” Saint Laurent said four years before retiring, in 2002. After a long period of ill health, he died at his home in Paris on June 1, 2008.
Browse an extraordinary collection of vintage Yves Saint Laurent evening dresses, shirts, handbags and other clothing and accessories today on 1stDibs.
Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche
Visionary French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent was the first to launch a ready-to-wear label, YSL Rive Gauche Prêt-à-Porter. The inaugural Rive Gauche boutique — a modern shop in Paris’s bustling, bohemian Left Bank district — offered stylish garments and accessories that were intended to be affordable for a younger generation of fashion enthusiasts. The store featured Mies van der Rohe chairs and played host to actor Catherine Deneuve during its grand opening.
Saint Laurent pioneered “cross-design” in fashion, taking inspiration from street trends to modernize haute couture. He was the first couturier to open boutiques for both men and women. Using traditional menswear fabrics and designs for women, he also literally cross-dressed, giving men and women alike chic pant suits, elegant tuxedo jackets and urban safari gear. By blurring gender-specific design, he empowered individual style while creating a scissor-sharp fashion aesthetic of sensual ease and beauty. Many of his designs are today considered timeless classics. Saint Laurent also consistently used Black models, like Mounia, Iman and Naomi Campbell, and he drew endless inspiration from different ethnicities and cultures, in no small part because of his Algerian roots.
Born to French parents in Oran, Algeria, in 1936, Saint Laurent went to Paris at age 17 to study fashion at the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture. Just two years later, in 1955, his remarkable sketches were shown to Christian Dior, then the world’s reigning couturier, who hired him immediately.
Surprisingly soon thereafter, Dior publicly chose Saint Laurent as his successor, which sadly proved prescient when the fashion legend died unexpectedly, in 1957. A mere slip of a youth, the 21-year-old Saint Laurent was nevertheless up to the challenge. He shook the traditional couture clientele to its core with youthful silhouettes and styles like the A-line trapeze dress that hung with seeming effortlessness from the shoulders, the antithesis of the pinched waists and molded skirts that had been all the rage after the deprivations of World War II.
After a mandated spell in the torturous French military, Saint Laurent suffered a nervous breakdown and was dismissed by Dior in 1962. Out of the ashes rose the Age of Yves. With Pierre Bergé, his then-lover who became his lifelong business partner and friend, the designer founded Yves Saint Laurent YSL to encompass prêt-à-porter, or ready-to-wear. In 1966, they opened the first YSL Rive Gauche women’s boutique in Paris — Rive Gauche is French for “left bank” — followed soon thereafter by YSL Rive Gauche for men. Ready-to-wear materialized during a period of dynamic transformation and experimentation and came to dominate the Paris fashion scene. Saint Laurent had given birth to a global brand.
His revolutionary Mondrian mini dress from 1965 is a core element of his fashion biography. It is a prime example of how Saint Laurent, an avid art lover and collector, looked to painters, from Goya to Picasso, Ingres to Matisse, for inspiration.
With its pure lines and hues, Mondrian’s ground-breaking 1935 color-block painting Composition C transmutes beautifully into a dress that is highly valued by collectors of contemporary fashion and widely copied commercially to this day. The design is the epitome of Saint Laurent’s aesthetic, requiring a meticulous hand piecing of each color block so that, despite the body’s curves, the visual plane is as flat as a canvas when the garment is worn. Mondrian’s purity met its match in Saint Laurent.
“I am no longer concerned with sensation and innovation, but with the perfection of my style,” Saint Laurent said four years before retiring, in 2002. After a long period of ill health, he died at his home in Paris on June 1, 2008.
The vintage YSL Rive Gauche clothing for sale on 1stDibs includes evening dresses and gowns, jackets, shoes, handbags and other items.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Oakland, CA
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- 1980's YVES SAINT LAURENT black cotton parka with oversized curly lamb hoodBy Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche, Yves Saint LaurentLocated in San Fransisco, CAVery rare black cotton coat with oversized curly lamb fur hood, 3-D pockets, drawstring waist and quilted lining designed by Yves Saint Laurent dating to the 1980's. No size is indic...Category
1980s French Coats
- 1950's JACQUES HEIM black wool cropped jacketBy Jacques HeimLocated in San Fransisco, CABlack tweed double breasted wool jacket from Jacques Heim for Harrods dating to the 1950's. Jacket fits a size small or medium. Approximate measurements are as follows: bust 38", sh...Category
1950s French Jackets
- 1990's DRIES VAN NOTEN maxi length burgundy wool sleeveless coatBy Dries van NotenLocated in San Fransisco, CADramatic, maxi-length, sleeveless wool coat with open closure from Dries Van Noten dating to the early 1990's. French size 38. Approximate measurements: shoulder 18", bust 38", waist...Category
1990s Belgian Coats
- 1970's SAINT LAURENT trench coat with puff sleeves and plaid wool liningBy Yves Saint Laurent, Yves Saint Laurent Rive GaucheLocated in San Fransisco, CAClassic, army-green, cotton trench coat with puff sleeves and plaid lining designed by Yves Saint Laurent dating to the 1970's. No size is indicated however this will best fit a US 6...Category
1970s French Trench Coats
- 1970's SONIA RYKIEL black fitted trenchBy Sonia RykielLocated in San Fransisco, CAVery rare, wool jersey, fitted trench from Sonia Rykiel dating to to the 1970's. Trench best fits a US 2 to a very narrow 4 due to the very long and narrow arms. Approximate measurem...Category
1970s French Jackets
- 2015 CELINE By Phoebe Philo Khaki Wool Coat With Open ClosureBy Phoebe Philo, CelineLocated in San Fransisco, CAStunning, khaki wool coat with open closure designed by Phoebe Philo for Celine dating to pre-fall of 2015, look 5. Labeled a French 36 however due to oversized cut, it will accommod...Category
2010s French Coats and Outerwear
- Sexy German Christine Vogdt 1970s Lynx Fur Stroller Length Coat US Size 8 MediumLocated in Tustin, CAWild and exotic, this vintage, spotted lynx fur coat or jacket from the 1970s, in excellent condition, makes a bold fashion statement from internationally renowned German fashion designer/artist, Christine Vogdt...Category
1970s German Jackets
- John Galliano 1990s Cotton and Viscose Embellished JacketBy John GallianoLocated in Brussels, BEHollywood Glamour was always on John Galliano’s mind and his penchant for opulence is the stuff of fashion legends. This adorable printed jacket, whose collar and sleeves are embellished with shimmery sequins, emphasizes the chest and underlines the waist. Could it be Louise Brooks that we see printed throughout? Either way, this is a definite feel-good piece, perfect for parties and memorable evenings. Ready-to-wear 90s floral blazer inspired from his spring 1998 Couture...Category
1990s French Jackets
- S/S 1989 Thierry Mugler Runway Sculptural Black Pointed Cutout JacketBy Thierry MuglerLocated in Concord, NCAn extravagant jacket by Thierry Mugler from the Spring Summer 1989 "Les Atlantes" collection. This documented black jacket features a unique cutout pointed edge design. The jacket f...Category
1980s French Jackets
- S/S 1992 Thierry Mugler Black Runway Jacket Dramatic White CollarBy Thierry MuglerLocated in Concord, NCIncredible rare Thierry Mugler black jacket with a dramatic pointed white collar and matching white cuffs from the Spring Summer 1992 collection and as seen on the runway. Made in Fr...Category
1990s French Jackets
- Vintage 1990’s Issey Miyake evening jacket in brownBy Issey MiyakeLocated in COLLINGWOOD, AUArchitecturally cut and crafted archive Issey Miyake evening jacket from the late 1990’s in unique bronze/brown shimmering fabric. Made in Japan Amazing cut to this unique piece for anyone’s wardrobe. Collectible Says size XL but would fit a euro 42...Category
1990s Japanese Dinner Jackets
- Balmain Pale Pink Leather Biker Jacket 44 FRBy BalmainLocated in DOUBLE BAY, NSWThe Balmain Pale Pink Leather Biker Jacket 44 FR is crafted from supple, pale pink lambskin leather for a biker-inspired silhouette. Perfect for a fashion-forward look. Brand: Balm...Category
2010s Jackets
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
How to Spot a Fake YSL Bag
Counterfeiters know that savvy fashionistas cherish YSL bags. Learn how to tell if yours is the real deal. Of course, you don't have to worry about that on 1stDibs, where every seller is highly vetted.
Quiet Luxury May Be Trending, but These Famous Interiors Prove That Quality and Quirk Endure
Because truly timeless design requires personal vision, transcendent taste, real fortitude and top-notch objects, even if the wider world hasn’t caught on yet.