Saint Laurent Grey Leather Small Sac de Jour Supple Tote
About the Item
- Designer:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: 10 (UK)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:
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. Under creative director Hedi Slimane, the house’s ready-to-wear collection was rebranded as Saint Laurent in 2012.
Browse an extraordinary collection of vintage Saint Laurent evening dresses, shirts, handbags and other clothing and accessories today on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: London, United Kingdom
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 14 days of delivery.
- Chanel 2008-2009 Ecru Leather Mademoiselle Lock East West Quilted ToteBy ChanelLocated in London, GBCONDITION is Good. Minor wear to bag is evident. Minor wear to the bag is evident. Light wear to the side edges, piping, bottom edges, inside lining, chain, and front and back is vis...Category
21st Century and Contemporary British Tote Bags
- Chanel 2002-2003 Black Coco Print Chain Tote BagBy ChanelLocated in London, GBCONDITION is Very good. Minimal wear to the bag is evident. The top rear of the bag shows minimal wear with a minor scratch mark, and the bottom edges show abrasion marks with the le...Category
21st Century and Contemporary British Tote Bags
- Goyard Blue Goyardine Saint Louis GM ToteBy GoyardLocated in London, GBCONDITION is Very good. Minimal wear to the bag is evident. Small abrasions to the top sides, to the bottom of the handle straps and to the bottom four corners. Light scratches to th...Category
21st Century and Contemporary British Tote Bags
- Chanel 2011-2012 Green Patent Interlocking CC Shopper ToteBy ChanelLocated in London, GBCONDITION is Very good. Minimal wear to the bag is evident. Small marks on the front and back. Light abrasions to the front centre of the logo and bottom four corners. General tarnis...Category
21st Century and Contemporary British Tote Bags
- Aspinal of London Teal Leather Croc Embossed Regent ToteBy Aspinal of LondonLocated in London, GBCONDITION is Good. General wear to tote is evident. Moderate discolouration to the overall lining. Minor scratches to the front and back of the bag. Overall abrasion to both handles ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary British Tote Bags
- Lanvin Brown Leather Large Tote BagBy Lanvin ParisLocated in London, GBCONDITION is Good. Minor wear to bag is evident. Light wear to the front, back, handles, base and lining with scratches and abrasions to the leather. The rear right handle base has a...Category
21st Century and Contemporary British Tote Bags
- Bottega Veneta Baby Blue Small Arco ToteBy Bottega VenetaLocated in Atlanta, GAThis Bottega Veneta tote in baby blue denim merges casual style with luxury. Featuring silver-tone hardware, its open-top design leads to a denim-lined interior, embodying effortless...Category
2010s Italian Tote Bags
- Celine Phantom Medium Tri Colour Navy Brown Black Luggage Tote BagBy CelineLocated in Miami, FLGuaranteed authentic Celine Tri colour medium Phantom luggage tote bag. An iconic beauty in Navy and Brown with Black front zip and handles. Zip top with 2 interior slot pockets and...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Tote Bags
- Dior Navy Blue Oblique Embroidered Canvas Large Book ToteBy Christian DiorLocated in Dubai, Al Qouz 2This alluring tote bag for women has been designed to assist you on any day. Convenient to carry and fashionably designed, the tote is cut with skill and sewn into a great shape. It ...Category
2010s Italian Tote Bags
- Dior Black Leather Medium Studded Supple Lady Dior ToteBy Christian DiorLocated in Dubai, Al Qouz 2Due to detailed and innovative designs, Dior has managed to be at the top of fashion's hierarchy through the years. Infuse the signature aesthetics of the brand into your outfit by a...Category
2010s Italian Tote Bags
- Louis Vuitton Monogram Neverfull PMBy Louis VuittonLocated in Indianapolis, INThe Louis Vuitton Monogram Neverfull PM is a stylish and iconic tote bag that's perfect for everyday use. It features the classic LV Monogram canvas, which is known for its durabilit...Category
2010s American Tote Bags
- Loewe Red Leather Tote with WalletBy LoeweLocated in Dubai, Al Qouz 2Carry everything you need in style thanks to this Loewe bag. Crafted from the best materials, this is an accessory that promises enduring style and usage.Category
2010s Tote Bags
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.
This Golden Saint Laurent Handbag Feels Like a Disco-Era Throwback (in the Best Way Possible)
If you're looking for an accessory that brings the party, this is it.