Skip to main content

Yves Saint Laurent Downtown

Recent Sales

Yves Saint Laurent Black Patent "Downtown" Bag
Yves Saint Laurent Black Patent "Downtown" Bag

Yves Saint Laurent Black Patent "Downtown" Bag

Unavailable

H 16 in W 7 in L 15 in

Yves Saint Laurent Black Patent "Downtown" Bag

By Yves Saint Laurent

Located in San Francisco, CA

With a unique geometric shape and luxurious black patent leather, Yves Saint Laurent turns the

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Tote Bags

YSL Rive Gauche Downtown Tote
YSL Rive Gauche Downtown Tote

YSL Rive Gauche Downtown Tote

Unavailable

H 16 in L 27 in

YSL Rive Gauche Downtown Tote

By Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche, Yves Saint Laurent

Located in New York, NY

Iconic oversized patent leather tote featuring gold zipper and snap hardware detailing

Category

1980s French Tote Bags

Metallic Silver Yves Saint Laurent Downtown Bag
Metallic Silver Yves Saint Laurent Downtown Bag

Metallic Silver Yves Saint Laurent Downtown Bag

By Yves Saint Laurent

Located in New York, NY

Product details: Metallic silver leather Downtown bag by Yves Saint Laurent. Dual carry handles

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Tote Bags

Yves Saint Laurent Red Patent Leather Downtown Tote Shoulder Bag
Yves Saint Laurent Red Patent Leather Downtown Tote Shoulder Bag

Yves Saint Laurent Red Patent Leather Downtown Tote Shoulder Bag

By Yves Saint Laurent

Located in Rome, Rome

Beautiful Yves Saint Laurent 'Downtown' tote bag, made of red patent leather. It features belt

Category

Early 2000s Italian Hobo Bags

YVES SAINT LAURENT black patent leather DOWNTWON MEDIUM CROCO TOTE Bag
YVES SAINT LAURENT black patent leather DOWNTWON MEDIUM CROCO TOTE Bag

YVES SAINT LAURENT black patent leather DOWNTWON MEDIUM CROCO TOTE Bag

By Yves Saint Laurent

Located in Zürich, CH

100% authentic Yves Saint Laurent 'Downtown Paris' tote bag in black crocodile embossed calfskin

Category

Early 2000s Italian Structured Shoulder Bags

Yves Saint Laurent Purple Downtown Large Bag
Yves Saint Laurent Purple Downtown Large Bag

Yves Saint Laurent Purple Downtown Large Bag

Sold

H 16.15 in D 7.88 in L 18.12 in

Yves Saint Laurent Purple Downtown Large Bag

By Yves Saint Laurent

Located in Gazzaniga (BG), IT

Beautiful and iconic YSL Downtown large bag Patent leather Purple color Textile and buckskin

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Tote Bags

YVES SAINT LAURENT Rive Gauche Downtown dark brown leather GHW tote bag
YVES SAINT LAURENT Rive Gauche Downtown dark brown leather GHW tote bag

YVES SAINT LAURENT Rive Gauche Downtown dark brown leather GHW tote bag

By Yves Saint Laurent

Located in Hong Kong, NT

YVES SAINT LAURENT Rive Gauche Downtown dark brown leather GHW tote bag Reference: CELE/A00030

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Tote Bags

Black patent leather Downtown Bag Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche Circa 2007
Black patent leather Downtown Bag Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche Circa 2007

Black patent leather Downtown Bag Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche Circa 2007

By Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche

Located in Saint-Ouen-Sur-Seine, FR

Black pattern leather Downtown Bag. Pocket with zip, buckles and snap on both side. Pocket with zip

Category

Early 2000s Italian Top Handle Bags

Yves Saint Laurent Downtown bag size Unique
Yves Saint Laurent Downtown bag size Unique

Yves Saint Laurent Downtown bag size Unique

By Yves Saint Laurent

Located in Gazzaniga (BG), IT

Leather Glacé color Textile and buckskin internal 2 External pockets Internal zip pocket Cm 46 x 32 x 24 (18.1 x 12.59 x 9.44 inches) Signs on leather

Category

2010s Italian Top Handle Bags

YSL YVES SAINT LAURENT Down Town Bag in Beige Grained Leather
YSL YVES SAINT LAURENT Down Town Bag in Beige Grained Leather

YSL YVES SAINT LAURENT Down Town Bag in Beige Grained Leather

By Yves Saint Laurent

Located in Paris, FR

Yves Saint Laurent 'Downtown' bag in beige grained leather. The hardware is in gold metal. The

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Top Handle Bags

YSL Rive Gauche Earthtone Python Large Downtown Tote - GHW
YSL Rive Gauche Earthtone Python Large Downtown Tote - GHW

YSL Rive Gauche Earthtone Python Large Downtown Tote - GHW

By Yves Saint Laurent

Located in West Palm Beach, FL

YSL Rive Gauche Earthtone Python Large Downtown Tote - GHW. This bag is in excellent condition with

Category

21st Century and Contemporary French Tote Bags

YSL Rive Gauche Black Patent "Sac Downtown" Bag - GHW
YSL Rive Gauche Black Patent "Sac Downtown" Bag - GHW

YSL Rive Gauche Black Patent "Sac Downtown" Bag - GHW

By Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche

Located in West Palm Beach, FL

YSL Rive Gauche Black Patent "Sac Downtown" Bag - GHW. This bag is in excellent condition and comes

Category

21st Century and Contemporary French Structured Shoulder Bags

Yves Saint Laurent Downtown Bag Patent Leather - pink
Yves Saint Laurent Downtown Bag Patent Leather - pink

Yves Saint Laurent Downtown Bag Patent Leather - pink

By Yves Saint Laurent

Located in Baarn, NL

Yves Saint Laurent Downton Bag in pink patent leather, nice and spacious. -gold-tone hardware

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Top Handle Bags

DUPLICATE YSL YVES SAINT LAURENT Downtown Black Patent Satchel
DUPLICATE YSL YVES SAINT LAURENT Downtown Black Patent Satchel

DUPLICATE YSL YVES SAINT LAURENT Downtown Black Patent Satchel

By Yves Saint Laurent

Located in Tampa, FL

This is an authentic YVES SAINT LAURENT YSL Downtown Tote Bag. It is done in eye catching black

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Handbags and Purses

Yves Saint Laurent White "Downtown" Bag
Yves Saint Laurent White "Downtown" Bag

Yves Saint Laurent White "Downtown" Bag

Sold

H 14 in W 19 in D 10 in

Yves Saint Laurent White "Downtown" Bag

By Yves Saint Laurent

Located in San Francisco, CA

around on the weekends as a chic overnight or carry-on. Also see our listing of the same Downtown bag

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Handbags and Purses

Yves Saint Laurent Dark Navy Downtown Bag
Yves Saint Laurent Dark Navy Downtown Bag

Yves Saint Laurent Dark Navy Downtown Bag

Sold

H 14 in W 9.5 in L 19 in

Yves Saint Laurent Dark Navy Downtown Bag

By Yves Saint Laurent

Located in San Francisco, CA

With a unique geometric shape and luxurious navy patent leather, Yves Saint Laurent turns the

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Handbags and Purses

Yves Saint Laurent Berry Purple "Downtown" Bag
Yves Saint Laurent Berry Purple "Downtown" Bag

Yves Saint Laurent Berry Purple "Downtown" Bag

By Yves Saint Laurent

Located in San Francisco, CA

around on the weekends as a chic overnight or carry-on. Also see our listing of the same Downtown bag

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Handbags and Purses

Yves Saint Laurent Black Leather Mini Downtown Tote
Yves Saint Laurent Black Leather Mini Downtown Tote

Yves Saint Laurent Black Leather Mini Downtown Tote

By Yves Saint Laurent

Located in Dubai, Al Qouz 2

This gorgeous Downtown tote comes from the house of Yves Saint Laurent. It is crafted from black

Category

2010s Italian Tote Bags

Yves Saint Laurent Black Leather Mini Downtown Tote
Yves Saint Laurent Black Leather Mini Downtown Tote

Yves Saint Laurent Black Leather Mini Downtown Tote

By Yves Saint Laurent

Located in Dubai, Al Qouz 2

This gorgeous Downtown tote comes from the house of Yves Saint Laurent. It is crafted from black

Category

2010s Italian Tote Bags

Yves Saint Laurent Brown Leather Large Downtown Tote
Yves Saint Laurent Brown Leather Large Downtown Tote

Yves Saint Laurent Brown Leather Large Downtown Tote

Sold

H 13.78 in W 9.65 in L 19.69 in

Yves Saint Laurent Brown Leather Large Downtown Tote

By Yves Saint Laurent

Located in Dubai, Al Qouz 2

Every woman needs a bag that is pretty and functional, just like this Downtown tote from Saint

Category

2010s Italian Tote Bags

Yves Saint Laurent Grey Metallic Leather Downtown Tote
Yves Saint Laurent Grey Metallic Leather Downtown Tote

Yves Saint Laurent Grey Metallic Leather Downtown Tote

By Yves Saint Laurent

Located in Dubai, Al Qouz 2

Every woman needs a bag that is pretty and functional, just like this Downtown tote from Saint

Category

2010s Italian Tote Bags

Yves Saint Laurent Brown Leather Small Downtown Tote
Yves Saint Laurent Brown Leather Small Downtown Tote

Yves Saint Laurent Brown Leather Small Downtown Tote

Sold

H 11.42 in W 7.88 in L 16.15 in

Yves Saint Laurent Brown Leather Small Downtown Tote

By Yves Saint Laurent

Located in Dubai, Al Qouz 2

A loved style, the Downtown tote from Saint Laurent Paris is a stylish and spacious bag that you

Category

2010s Italian Tote Bags

Yves Saint Laurent Dark Brown Patent Downtown Bag
Yves Saint Laurent Dark Brown Patent Downtown Bag

Yves Saint Laurent Dark Brown Patent Downtown Bag

By Yves Saint Laurent

Located in San Francisco, CA

With a unique geometric shape and luxurious chocolate brown patent leather, Yves Saint Laurent

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Tote Bags

Yves Saint Laurent Black Leather Large Downtown Tote
Yves Saint Laurent Black Leather Large Downtown Tote

Yves Saint Laurent Black Leather Large Downtown Tote

By Yves Saint Laurent

Located in Dubai, Al Qouz 2

This 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 Tote Bags

Yves Saint Laurent Military Green Leather Large Downtown Tote
Yves Saint Laurent Military Green Leather Large Downtown Tote

Yves Saint Laurent Military Green Leather Large Downtown Tote

By Yves Saint Laurent

Located in Dubai, Al Qouz 2

Every closet deserves a bag that is as luxe and functional as this Downtown tote from Yves Saint

Category

2010s Italian Tote Bags

Yves Saint Laurent Multicolor Crease Leather Small Downtown Tote
Yves Saint Laurent Multicolor Crease Leather Small Downtown Tote

Yves Saint Laurent Multicolor Crease Leather Small Downtown Tote

By Yves Saint Laurent

Located in Dubai, Al Qouz 2

Every woman needs a bag that is pretty and functional, just like this Downtown tote from Yves Saint

Category

2010s Italian Tote Bags

Yves Saint Laurent Multicolor Crease Leather Small Downtown Tote
Yves Saint Laurent Multicolor Crease Leather Small Downtown Tote

Yves Saint Laurent Multicolor Crease Leather Small Downtown Tote

By Yves Saint Laurent

Located in Dubai, Al Qouz 2

Every woman needs a bag that is pretty and functional, just like this Downtown tote from Yves Saint

Category

2010s Italian Tote Bags

Yves Saint Laurent Cream White Leather Large Downtown Tote
Yves Saint Laurent Cream White Leather Large Downtown Tote

Yves Saint Laurent Cream White Leather Large Downtown Tote

By Yves Saint Laurent

Located in Dubai, Al Qouz 2

Every closet deserves a bag that is as luxe and functional as this Downtown tote from Yves Saint

Category

2010s Italian Tote Bags

Yves Saint Laurent Black Patent Leather Large Downtown Tote
Yves Saint Laurent Black Patent Leather Large Downtown Tote

Yves Saint Laurent Black Patent Leather Large Downtown Tote

By Yves Saint Laurent

Located in Dubai, Al Qouz 2

Every closet deserves a bag that is as luxe and functional as this Downtown tote from Yves Saint

Category

2010s Italian Tote Bags

Yves Saint Laurent Black Leather Downtown Medium Tote Bag
Yves Saint Laurent Black Leather Downtown Medium Tote Bag

Yves Saint Laurent Black Leather Downtown Medium Tote Bag

By Yves Saint Laurent

Located in London, GB

Yves Saint Laurent Black Leather Downtown Medium Tote Bag - Black Tote Bag - Leather body

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Shoulder Bags

Yves Saint Laurent Dark Brown Leather Large Downtown Tote
Yves Saint Laurent Dark Brown Leather Large Downtown Tote

Yves Saint Laurent Dark Brown Leather Large Downtown Tote

By Yves Saint Laurent

Located in Dubai, Al Qouz 2

Every woman needs a bag that is pretty and functional, just like this Downtown tote from Saint

Category

2010s Italian Tote Bags

Yves Saint Laurent Black Patent Leather Large Downtown Tote
Yves Saint Laurent Black Patent Leather Large Downtown Tote

Yves Saint Laurent Black Patent Leather Large Downtown Tote

By Yves Saint Laurent

Located in Dubai, Al Qouz 2

Saint Laurent. Crafted with precision using patent leather, the bag has been styled with gold-tone

Category

2010s Italian Tote Bags

Yves Saint Laurent Brown Patent Leather Large Downtown Tote
Yves Saint Laurent Brown Patent Leather Large Downtown Tote

Yves Saint Laurent Brown Patent Leather Large Downtown Tote

By Yves Saint Laurent

Located in Dubai, Al Qouz 2

This 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

Yves Saint Laurent Black Patent Leather Large Downtown Tote
Yves Saint Laurent Black Patent Leather Large Downtown Tote

Yves Saint Laurent Black Patent Leather Large Downtown Tote

By Yves Saint Laurent

Located in Dubai, Al Qouz 2

Carry everything you need in style thanks to this YSL black tote. Crafted from the best materials, this is an accessory that promises enduring style and usage.

Category

2010s Italian Tote Bags

Yves Saint Laurent Black Patent Leather Large Downtown Tote
Yves Saint Laurent Black Patent Leather Large Downtown Tote

Yves Saint Laurent Black Patent Leather Large Downtown Tote

By Yves Saint Laurent

Located in Dubai, Al Qouz 2

This 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 Tote Bags

Yves Saint Laurent Dark Brown Patent Leather Large Downtown Tote
Yves Saint Laurent Dark Brown Patent Leather Large Downtown Tote

Yves Saint Laurent Dark Brown Patent Leather Large Downtown Tote

By Yves Saint Laurent

Located in Dubai, Al Qouz 2

Every woman needs a bag that is pretty and functional, just like this Downtown tote from Yves Saint

Category

2010s Italian Tote Bags

YSL Yves Saint Laurent Black Small Downtown Patent Tote Bag
YSL Yves Saint Laurent Black Small Downtown Patent Tote Bag

YSL Yves Saint Laurent Black Small Downtown Patent Tote Bag

By Yves Saint Laurent

Located in Tampa, FL

This is an authentic YSL Yves Saint Laurent Black Small Downtown Patent Tote Shoulder Bag. Done in

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Handbags and Purses

Yves Saint Laurent Black Patent Leather Small Floral Applique Downtown Tote
Yves Saint Laurent Black Patent Leather Small Floral Applique Downtown Tote

Yves Saint Laurent Black Patent Leather Small Floral Applique Downtown Tote

By Yves Saint Laurent

Located in Dubai, Al Qouz 2

Every woman needs a bag that is pretty and functional, just like this Downtown tote from Yves Saint

Category

2010s Italian Tote Bags

Saint Laurent Downtown Tote Patent Large
Saint Laurent Downtown Tote Patent Large

Saint Laurent Downtown Tote Patent Large

Sold

H 13.5 in W 10 in D 9.5 in

Saint Laurent Downtown Tote Patent Large

By Yves Saint Laurent

Located in NY, NY

This authentic Saint Laurent Downtown Tote Patent Large is an edgy daily bag for the modern woman

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Tote Bags

Saint Laurent Downtown Tote Patent Medium
Saint Laurent Downtown Tote Patent Medium

Saint Laurent Downtown Tote Patent Medium

Sold

H 13 in W 10 in D 9.5 in

Saint Laurent Downtown Tote Patent Medium

By Yves Saint Laurent

Located in NY, NY

This authentic Saint Laurent Downtown Tote Patent Medium is an edgy daily bag for the modern woman

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Tote Bags

Saint Laurent Downtown Tote Leather Medium
Saint Laurent Downtown Tote Leather Medium

Saint Laurent Downtown Tote Leather Medium

By Yves Saint Laurent

Located in NY, NY

This authentic Saint Laurent Downtown Tote Leather Medium is a simple, daily tote made for the

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Tote Bags

Saint Laurent Downtown Tote Patent Medium
Saint Laurent Downtown Tote Patent Medium

Saint Laurent Downtown Tote Patent Medium

By Yves Saint Laurent

Located in NY, NY

This authentic Saint Laurent Downtown Tote Patent Medium is constructed with bold black patent

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Tote Bags

Saint Laurent Downtown Tote Leather Large
Saint Laurent Downtown Tote Leather Large

Saint Laurent Downtown Tote Leather Large

By Yves Saint Laurent

Located in NY, NY

This authentic Saint Laurent Downtown Tote Leather Large is constructed with dark brown leather and

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Tote Bags

Saint Laurent Downtown Tote Patent Medium
Saint Laurent Downtown Tote Patent Medium

Saint Laurent Downtown Tote Patent Medium

Sold

H 13.5 in W 10 in D 9.5 in

Saint Laurent Downtown Tote Patent Medium

By Yves Saint Laurent

Located in NY, NY

This authentic Saint Laurent Downtown Tote Patent Medium is an edgy daily bag for the modern woman

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Tote Bags

Saint Laurent Downtown Tote Leather Medium
Saint Laurent Downtown Tote Leather Medium

Saint Laurent Downtown Tote Leather Medium

Sold

H 13.5 in W 9.5 in D 9 in

Saint Laurent Downtown Tote Leather Medium

By Yves Saint Laurent

Located in NY, NY

This authentic Saint Laurent Downtown Tote Leather Medium is constructed with black leather and

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Tote Bags

Saint Laurent Downtown Tote Leather Large
Saint Laurent Downtown Tote Leather Large

Saint Laurent Downtown Tote Leather Large

Sold

H 16 in W 10.5 in D 7.5 in

Saint Laurent Downtown Tote Leather Large

By Yves Saint Laurent

Located in NY, NY

This authentic Saint Laurent Downtown Tote Leather Large is a stunning bag that will be sure to

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Tote Bags

Saint Laurent Downtown Tote Leather Medium
Saint Laurent Downtown Tote Leather Medium

Saint Laurent Downtown Tote Leather Medium

By Yves Saint Laurent

Located in NY, NY

This authentic Saint Laurent Downtown Tote Leather Medium is an edgy daily bag for the modern woman

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Tote Bags

Saint Laurent Monogram Cabas Downtown Leather Baby
Saint Laurent Monogram Cabas Downtown Leather Baby

Saint Laurent Monogram Cabas Downtown Leather Baby

By Yves Saint Laurent

Located in NY, NY

This Saint Laurent Monogram Cabas Downtown Leather Baby, crafted from pink leather, features dual

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Tote Bags

Saint Laurent Monogram Cabas Downtown Leather Baby
Saint Laurent Monogram Cabas Downtown Leather Baby

Saint Laurent Monogram Cabas Downtown Leather Baby

By Yves Saint Laurent

Located in NY, NY

This authentic Saint Laurent Monogram Cabas Downtown Leather Baby combines a modern and functional

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Top Handle Bags

Saint Laurent Monogram Cabas Downtown Leather Baby
Saint Laurent Monogram Cabas Downtown Leather Baby

Saint Laurent Monogram Cabas Downtown Leather Baby

By Yves Saint Laurent

Located in NY, NY

This Saint Laurent Monogram Cabas Downtown Leather Baby, crafted from red leather, features dual

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Tote Bags

Saint Laurent Monogram Cabas Downtown Leather Baby
Saint Laurent Monogram Cabas Downtown Leather Baby

Saint Laurent Monogram Cabas Downtown Leather Baby

By Yves Saint Laurent

Located in NY, NY

This Saint Laurent Monogram Cabas Downtown Leather Baby, crafted from black leather, features dual

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Tote Bags

Saint Laurent Monogram Cabas Downtown Leather Baby
Saint Laurent Monogram Cabas Downtown Leather Baby

Saint Laurent Monogram Cabas Downtown Leather Baby

By Yves Saint Laurent

Located in NY, NY

This authentic Saint Laurent Monogram Cabas Downtown Leather Baby combines a modern and functional

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Tote Bags

Saint Laurent Monogram Cabas Downtown Leather Small
Saint Laurent Monogram Cabas Downtown Leather Small

Saint Laurent Monogram Cabas Downtown Leather Small

By Yves Saint Laurent

Located in NY, NY

This Saint Laurent Monogram Cabas Downtown Leather Small, crafted in pale pink leather, features

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Tote Bags

Yves Saint Laurent Dark Brown Patent Leather Large Downtown Tote
Yves Saint Laurent Dark Brown Patent Leather Large Downtown Tote

Yves Saint Laurent Dark Brown Patent Leather Large Downtown Tote

By Saint Laurent

Located in Dubai, Al Qouz 2

Every woman needs a bag that is pretty and functional, just like this Downtown tote from Yves Saint

Category

2010s Italian Tote Bags

Get Updated with New Arrivals
Save "Yves Saint Laurent Downtown", and we’ll notify you when there are new listings in this category.

Yves Saint Laurent Downtown For Sale on 1stDibs

Surely you’ll find the exact vintage or contemporary yves saint laurent downtown you’re seeking on 1stDibs — we’ve got a vast assortment for sale. Our collection includes a variety of colors, spanning Black, Brown, Red and more. Making the right choice when shopping for a yves saint laurent downtown may mean looking at versions that date from different eras — you can find early iterations from the 20th Century and a newer version made as recently as the 21st Century, both of which have proven very popular over the years. When shopping for these accessories, you’ll find that there are less available pieces for men or unisex today than there are for women.

How Much is a Yves Saint Laurent Downtown?

The price for a yves saint laurent downtown starts at $227 and tops out at $2,395, and on average, selling for $850.

Yves Saint Laurent for sale on 1stDibs

French 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, Saint Laurent 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.

Finding the Right Handbags-purses-bags for You

An integral part of fashion, handbags and purses have been indispensable accessories ever since we began to carry around personal items. Level of craftsmanship, style and shape matters — from coin purses in ancient Greece to early 20th-century opera bags and onward, handbags have evolved considerably over the years to meet our needs and desires, whether or not you happen to be prioritizing functionality over a flashy exterior.

Once, a single “It” handbag ruled each fashion season. No more. Today, lovers of vintage handbags are savvier and have a wider range of shopping options. Nevertheless, classics created by the likes of Louis Vuitton, Dior and Balenciaga still rule.

“It is not a fashion bag — it is a statement bag,” says Mightychic's Debra Kent of Hermès's widely beloved accessories. “When you carry an iconic Hermès bagBirkin, Kelly, Constance — no one knows how long you have been into this culture or if you are a newbie. Your status is validated immediately.”

First released in 1997, Fendi's Baguette rose to fame along with Carrie Bradshaw, the Sex and the City character portrayed by Sarah Jessica Parker. Recently, the design has seen such a resurgence in popularity that Fendi has reissued it.

They are part of design history, so owning a handbag has meaning. As New York–based fashion historian Sarah C. Byrd says, “You have made the choice to invest in this piece because you understand the value of it in the past and in the future to come.”

From a 1980s Chanel black leather quilted mini buckle bag to the rare Hermès Birkin 30cm Himalayan with diamond hardware to a range of 19th-century bags, find a rich variety of vintage and designer handbags and purses spanning numerous brands on 1stDibs — seasonal “It” designation no longer needed.