The late designer exudes elegance in both his designs and personal dress. His style continues to awe the fashion world today.
Yves Saint Laurent is one of the most influential fashion designers of all time. He launched his own label in the 1960s and became famous for such iconic pieces as his ‘le smoking’ tuxedo for women, the Mondrian dress and velvet Knickerbocker suits. Over the following decades, Saint Laurent’s style would continue to influence the fashion world. The late designer rendered the trouser suit both presentable and sensual. Long coats and straight dresses created fluidity on the catwalk. Saint Laurent was the first living designer to hold a solo show in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
“Fashion fades, style is eternal,” Saint Laurent once said. Actresses and models would gush over his creations. He dressed them in smoking jackets and blazers, and established signature pieces such as jumpsuits and sheer blouses. The pea coat was no longer a stranger on the runway. But Saint Laurent’s style goes beyond his designs. The designer himself radiates a timeless elegance when it comes to personal style. We all remember his signature rectangle framed glasses and the perfectly tailored suits.
Saint Laurent radiated a sense of style that changed the way both men and women dressed, not only in the post-war era, but even today. As Diana Vreeland, legendary fashion magazine editor, puts, “Whatever he does, women of all ages, from all over the world, follow.” Wealth, seductiveness and intelligence was epitomised in his style. His influence is seen in every woman’s wardrobe today: leather biker jackets and black turtlenecks are all hallmarks of his significant vision.
Read our tribute to the late Yves Saint Laurent in FIB’s Masters of Fashion Vol. 37: Paris.
