Yves Saint Laurent black linen cap with extra long organza visor, ss 1991
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: Medium (EU)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU140210215032
Yves Saint Laurent
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.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: London, United Kingdom
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Vivienne Westwood grey sheepskin topless trapper hat, fw 1994By Vivienne WestwoodLocated in London, GBVivienne Westwood grey sheepskin topless trapper hat Fall-Winter 1994Category
1990s British Hats
- Vivienne Westwood black velvet and faux fur crown, fw 1987By Vivienne WestwoodLocated in London, GBVivienne Westwood black velvet crown with brown faux fur band. Harris Tweed, Fall-Winter 1987Category
1990s British Hats
- Vivienne Westwood veiled raffia boater hat, ss 1988By Vivienne WestwoodLocated in London, GB▪ Vivienne Westwood raffia boater hat ▪ Black grosgrain ribbon with bow ▪ Black fishnet veil ▪ Size Medium ▪ Spring-Summer 1988Category
1980s British Hats
- Prada tan python bucket hat, ss 2004By PradaLocated in London, GB▪ Prada tan python bucket hat ▪ Metal buckle fastening on band ▪ Wide floppy brim ▪ Nylon lining ▪ Size Small ▪ Spring-Summer 2004Category
Early 2000s Italian Hats
- Prada brown alligator bucket hat, fw 2003By PradaLocated in London, GB▪ Prada brown alligator bucket hat ▪ Metal buckle detail ▪ Limited edition ▪ Nylon lining ▪ Comes with Prada hat box ▪ Size Medium ▪ Fall-Winter 2003Category
Early 2000s Italian Hats
- Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld white and black silk flat cap, ss 2002By Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel, ChanelLocated in London, GB▪ Chanel white and black flat cap ▪ Designed by Karl Lagerfeld ▪ 100% Silk ▪ Floral design with 'CC' logos ▪ Size Medium ▪ Spring-Summer 2002Category
Early 2000s French Hats
- Rare Vintage Chanel Runway PVC Wide Brimmed HatBy Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel, ChanelLocated in Fort Lauderdale, FLThe ultimate in accessories making luxury craftsmanship. The Iconic House of Chanel always provides us with timeless and classic pieces. This beautiful hat takes timeless creation to a new level of sophistication and charm. Made from the finest materials that you would expect from the Chanel House. This rare runway hat...Category
Early 2000s German Hats
- Gianni Versace 1990s Black Leather Medusa HatBy Gianni VersaceLocated in Scottsdale, AZAdd a touch of 90s Versace to your look with this amazing Gianni Versace hat! Circa early 1990s, this hat is crafted from ultra soft black leather and feat...Category
1990s Italian Hats
- 1960s Christian Dior Black Felt Derby HatBy Christian DiorLocated in Scottsdale, AZThe Perfect Winter Hat Has Arrived! Circa 1960s, this Dior derby style hat features a porkpie brim. The crown of the hat and the outer trim of the brim are...Category
1960s Italian Hats
- 1980s Amen Wardy Rhinestone Bow HatBy Amen WardyLocated in Scottsdale, AZThe Most Adorable 80s Hat Is Here! Made of black Wool, this wide brim derby hat features a unique slit in the brim and crown and is decorated with a rhineston...Category
1980s Unknown Hats
- Hats by Gertrude Ostrich Feather Pillbox HatLocated in Scottsdale, AZSnag a vintage gem today! This is a pillbox hat from the 1960's in pristine condition and it doesn't get any better than that! Feel your best and most soph...Category
1960s American Hats
- Black Hermes Bucket HatBy HermèsLocated in Scottsdale, AZAdjustable to your liking, this hat is great for any weather. During fall is the perfect time to add some spice into your wardrobe. Since the black bucket hat can be worn many different ways, it is an amazing piece to have. From a YSL blazer to Chanel sundress...Category
2010s French Hats
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.