Limited edition Saint Laurent “Paris” print summer ensemble. circa 1983
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: 36 France (EU)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:Measurements Top Bust: 38inch/ 96.5cm Sleeve: 12.5inch/31.5cm Shoulder: 14.4inch/ 36cm Total length: 17.5inch/ 44cm SKIRT Waist: 25inch/63.5cm Length: 23.8inch/ 60cm.
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU917119728212
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: London, United Kingdom
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 1 day of delivery.
- Guy Laroche black and orange dress and Jacket ensemble, circa 1980By Guy LarocheLocated in London, GBA beautiful and delicately constructed ensemble made from bi-color cotton. The dress features a fitted bodice with fine straps and adorned with a bow under the bustline. This black s...Category
1980s French Dress and Coat Ensembles
- Jean Patou soutane style silk coat, circa 1960sBy Jean Patou, Jean Patou ParisLocated in London, GBIn the 1960s formal wear had a fresh new look. Simpler and straighter lines inspired by military and ecclesiastical tailoring signalled the beginning ...Category
1960s French Frocks
- Pucci foliage print wool challis ensemble. circa 1970By Emilio PucciLocated in London, GBEmilio Pucci, one of the first international stars of Italian fashion, was inseparable from his kaleidoscopic textiles designs. This important print however has historical relev...Category
1970s Italian Skirt Suits
- Saint Laurent “ Art collection Matisse “ribbed maxi skirt ensemble. c.1980sBy Saint LaurentLocated in London, GBYves Saint Laurent’s relationship to art is often refered to as a dialogue with art and a tribute to various artists But Saint Laurent wasn’t just copying artists such as Mondrian, P...Category
1980s French Cocktail Dresses
- Early Emilio Pucci two pieces skirt ensemble.circa early 1960sBy Emilio PucciLocated in London, GBEmilio Pucci, one of the first international stars of Italian fashion, was inseparable from his kaleidoscopic textiles designs. This important print however has historical relevance...Category
1960s Jamaican Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- Yves Saint Laurent Chinese collection gold brocade skirt ensemble.circa 1980By Yves Saint LaurentLocated in London, GBYves Saint Laurent's Chinese collection corresponded with the launch of the fragrance Opium. Similar to previous folkloric inspired collections, the Chinese collection is also about a release of imagination, dreams and the mystery that foreign lands evoked. This Yves Saint Laurent mini skirt...Category
1980s French Skirt Suits
- Chanel Multi-color Silk Printed Dress & Coat Set - 42 - circa 1980'sBy ChanelLocated in West Palm Beach, FLChanel Multi-color Silk Printed Dress & Coat Set - 42 - circa 1980's. This set is in good vintage condition with the main issue being a few small stains on the dress and a couple on the jacket which are not noticeable unless examined closely. One button is missing but the dress comes with 2 extra buttons on the inside and can easily be fixed.The dress is collared and buttons up with ruching in the middle. The kimono style coat...Category
1980s French Day Dresses
- Antique Crochet work day dress, walking dress, two pieceLocated in NEWARK, GBA rare antique late Victorian / early Edwardian day dress. A two piece dress comprising of a bodice with long sleeves and crochet cuffs, the bodice is open and does not fasten, designed to be worn over a blouse. The skirt is most beautiful, long length with gorgeous crochet panelling down the front centre and around the back and the hem, the skirt has layered peplum style panels around the back and hips. Such a beautiful piece of antique clothing...Category
19th Century British Skirt Suits
- Minx Modes 1960s Linen Dress and Jacket SetLocated in Water Mill, NYA fabulous khaki linen dress and coat set by Minx Modes. The shift dress is sleeveless with a front yoke, back kick pleat and contrasting orange topstitching. The matching jacket ha...Category
1960s American Dress and Coat Ensembles
- Nina Ricci 1960s Dress and Fur Trimmed JacketBy Nina RicciLocated in Water Mill, NYA gorgeous jacket and dress set from Nina Ricci in red, blue, brown and white striped wool. It consists of a long sleeve hip length jacket with a brown sheared mink collar and a hand...Category
1960s French Dress and Coat Ensembles
- Rikes 1960s Cashmere Dress and Coat with Geometric SeamsLocated in Water Mill, NYA gorgeous 1960s dress and coat set in brown cashmere made by Rike's, Switzerland for upscale Dayton's Department store. The A line dress has short sleeves, a stand up collar and thr...Category
1960s Swiss Dress and Coat Ensembles
- S/S 1986 Yves Saint Laurent Vintage YSL Botanical Blouse & Skirt 2 Pc DressBy Yves Saint LaurentLocated in Portland, ORThis is a gorgeous floral and butterfly print two piece day dress from the Yves Saint Laurent Spring/Summer 1986 collection. The matching top and skirt set...Category
1980s European Informal Dresses
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.