Vogue Documented Yves Saint Laurent Ensemble, Spring-Summer 1970
View Similar Items
Vogue Documented Yves Saint Laurent Ensemble, Spring-Summer 1970
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Waist: 28.5 in (72.39 cm)Shoulder to Hem: 22 in (55.88 cm)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. There is a tiny color difference between the top (slightly lighter) and the skirt (not noticeable unless very closely inspected).
- Seller Location:Geneva, CH
- Reference Number:Seller: 1DJD03761stDibs: LU5602476553
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.
- Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld Haute Couture Bow Skirt Suit, Circa 1985By Chanel, Karl LagerfeldLocated in Geneva, CHIconic, timeless, chic and versatile ! Very few garment can provide these four qualities simultaneously. A Chanel skirt suit has definitely such power, especially when it is Haute Co...Category
1980s French Skirt Suits
- Numbered Courreges Haute Couture Trousers Suit EnsembleBy Courrèges, André CourrègesLocated in Geneva, CHThis ultra chic late 60’s - early 70’s haute couture Courrèges ensemble, is made up of a fitted tunic-top and high waisted trousers. Constructed in dark blue wool, this fully lined s...Category
1970s French Trouser Pant Suits
- Rare Bill Gibb Devore Silk Velvet Evening EnsembleBy Bill GibbLocated in Geneva, CHIncredible early 70s "dévoré" silk velvet and gold lame set composed of a short kimono-caftan and a long buttoned maxi skirt. The top is cut wide with sleeves opening down the wais...Category
1970s British Caftans
- Nina Ricci Haute Couture Polka Dot Dress & Coat EnsembleBy Nina RicciLocated in Geneva, CHWedding season is here and this early 60s Nina Ricci haute couture set is an elegant option for the ceremony. Made from refined satin silk pri...Category
1960s French Dress and Coat Ensembles
- Yves Saint Laurent Metallic Polka Dots Evening BlouseBy Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche, Yves Saint LaurentLocated in Geneva, CHThis 70's ruffled boho blouse is constructed of lightweight black silk chiffon woven with gold metallic "fil coupé" polka dots. Cut for a flowing fit, it has a sexy sheer finish. Two...Category
1970s French Blouses and Tops
- Gucci By Tom Ford Squares GG Logo Silk-Jacquard Shirt, Spring-Summer 1998By Gucci, Tom FordLocated in Geneva, CHChic and timeless, this black shirt from the iconic 1998 Spring-Summer Gucci by Tom Ford collection will prove to be a staple in any wardrobe. Jacquard-woven with lustrous squares GG...Category
1990s Italian Chemises
- F/W 1999 Atelier Versace Coral Beaded Sheer Corset Two-Piece Pants Set DonatellaBy Atelier Versace, Donatella VersaceLocated in West Hollywood, CAPresenting a stunning Atelier Versace corset-boned top bodice and matching pant set, designed by Donatella Versace. This stunning set, from Vers...Category
1990s Italian Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- Custom-Made Metallic Gold and Black Lurex Velvet Bustier Coat Evening EnsembleLocated in Munich, DESpectacular custom-made bustier top and matching evening coat ensemble in soft gold to black shimmering lurex velvet. The bustier features a strapless design, a sweetheart neckline, ...Category
1990s Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- JEAN PAUL GAULTIER SS 2001 co-ord mesh shirt and trousers Bacteria printBy Jean Paul GaultierLocated in Genève, CHCo-ord set with iconic Bacteria print from Gaultier SS 2001, fantastic condition. Made in Italy. Set is Top is in size XL, made of extremely flexible polyamide mesh and can fit from...Category
Early 2000s Italian Trouser Pant Suits
$563 Sale Price20% Off - Gianni Versace Black Gold vestBy Gianni VersaceLocated in Capri, ITGianni Versace Black Gold vest Size 48Category
1990s Shirts
- F/W 1991 Dolce & Gabbana Multicolor Gem Black Cropped Bodycon Knit Skirt SetBy Dolce & GabbanaLocated in West Hollywood, CAPresenting a stunning black gem accented Dolce and Gabbana skirt set. From the Fall/Winter 1991 collection, this incredible set is made up of a...Category
1990s Italian Skirt Suits
- Chanel Green Cashmere Twin SetsBy Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld for ChanelLocated in Sheung Wan, HK- Chanel green cashmere twin sets from 2000 Cruise collection. - Short Sleeves Cardigan and tank top. - One button closure. - Yellow sequined ...Category
Early 2000s French Twin Sets
$1,238 Sale Price24% Off
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.