Saint Laurent

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Yves Henri Donta Matthieu-Saint-Laurent was born in Oran, Algeria on August 1, 1936. Growing up in the Mediterranean, his family home was a villa that he shared with his two sisters. During his childhood, Yves passed a lot of his time making paper dolls, eventually graduating to designing dresses for his mother and sister in his teenage years. At 18, he moved to Paris to attend the prestigious Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture and became increasingly noticed for his intricate design work. It was around that time when Saint Laurent met fashion designer Christian Dior, who instantly recognized his talent and helped guide Saint Laurent in honing his craft as a designer in the years to come. Of Dior, Saint Laurent would later recall, “Dior fascinated me. I couldn't speak in front of him. He taught me the basis of my art. Whatever was to happen next, I never forgot the years I spent at by his side.” In his beginning years at the House of Dior, Saint Laurent worked on simple tasks before he finally became qualified to submit sketches for Dior’s couture collection. After that, Saint Laurent began to submit sketches more frequently for the subsequent collections until finally, in 1957, Dior chose him as his successor to run the House of Dior. It was then that, at the age of 21, Saint Laurent took the helm as artistic director of the House, and would later be credited for protecting it from a financial shipwreck with his spring 1958 collection. In this collection, Saint Laurent featured cleaner lines than the more structured silhouettes of Dior’s “New Look” collection, gaining Saint Laurent notoriety for designs that included his famous “trapeze dress.” This dress featured narrow shoulders and slim, long lines that flared at the bottom. Amidst his growing popularity, it was around this time in his career that, for the sake of the international press, Saint Laurent began using a shortened version of his last name. A few years later, Saint Laurent was drafted for military service in the French Army in 1960. After only 20 days of his service, Saint Laurent was hospitalized as a result of severe hazing from his fellow officers. At this time, Saint Laurent was also terminated from the House of Dior, which led to his decline into depression and drug abuse, a habit that over the years would prove an addiction. Later that same year, in 1960, Saint Laurent and his partner Pierre Bergé entered a joint venture in establishing their fashion house, Yves Saint Laurent (YSL). In the decades of the 1960’s and 1970’s, the YSL house spearheaded design trends that included the beatnik look, tight trousers, thigh-high boots, safari jackets for both sexes and the famous “Le Smoking” tuxedo suit for women. The YSL design of this time period also incorporated silhouettes from the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s. Saint Laurent is purported to be the first French designer to establish a complete line of prêt-à-porter (ready-to-wear) clothing, which was launched as a way to bring haute couture to the masses, according to fashion journalist Alicia Drake. Other fashion houses were establishing similar lines at the same time, though YSL was the first to launch this revolutionary type of fashion line. On September 26, 1966, the first of YSL’s Rive Gauche stores, one that offered YSL’s new prêt-à-porter line, opened on the rue de Tournon in the 6th arrondissement of Paris. Saint Laurent attended the premiere, which welcomed French actress Catherine Deneuve as its first customer. Years later, in 1983, Saint Laurent was honored by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which held a solo exhibition for the designer. This accolade was a first, as no other living fashion designer had received this privilege. Almost 20 years later, in 2001, Saint Laurent would again receive an honor, this time by French president Jacques Chirac, by being awarded the rank of Commander of the Légion d'Honneur. Shortly afterwards, in 2002, Saint Laurent retired and lived mostly in reclusivity, splitting his time between his two homes in Normandy and Morocco with his French Bulldog Moujik. Though retired, Saint Laurent’s signature looks continued to inspire the work of other designers, who reinterpreted them in their own lines. To this day, though Saint Laurent is best known for sparking clothing design trends that include peasant blouses and bolero jackets, YSL handbags, shoes, jewelry and perfume are still considered timeless pieces by haute couture aficionados.

Saint Laurent

Lambskin Monogram Loulou Puffer Pouch Clutch Coral

Condition: Excellent

$1,125

Saint Laurent

Calfskin Crocodile Embossed Medium Monogram Sunset Black

Condition: Very Good

$2,160

Saint Laurent

Textured Calfskin Medium Cabas ChYc Black

Condition: Very Good

$825

Saint Laurent

Calfskin Y Quilted Monogram Toy Loulou Crossbody Bag Black

Condition: Excellent

$1,645

Saint Laurent

Calfskin Y Quilted Monogram Toy Loulou Crossbody Bag Black

Condition: Excellent

$1,650

Saint Laurent

SL 318 Signature Sunglasses Black

Condition: Excellent

$175

Saint Laurent

Grain De Poudre Chevron Monogram Bill Pouch Dusty Grey

Condition: Excellent

$405

Saint Laurent

Lambskin Matelasse Monogram Medium Vicky Chain Bag Algae

Condition: Very Good

$1,540

Saint Laurent

Calfskin Matelasse Chevron Monogram A5 Wristlet Black

Condition: Very Good

$670

Saint Laurent

Calfskin Matelasse Monogram Lou Camera Bag Black

Condition: Excellent

$1,250

Saint Laurent

Calfskin Matelasse Monogram Lou Camera Bag Black

Condition: Excellent

$1,195

Saint Laurent

Suede Lambskin Jaime Cube Charm Keychain Sunflower

Condition: Excellent

$350

Saint Laurent

Smooth Shiny Calfskin Monogram Uptown Pouch Black

Condition: Excellent

$595

Saint Laurent

Smooth Calfskin Monogram Kate Belt Bag Black

Condition: Good

$650

Saint Laurent

Metal Betty SL182 Sunglasses Black

Condition: Giftable

$425

Saint Laurent

Calfskin Perforated Womens SL24 Sneakers 36.5 White

Condition: Excellent

$295

Saint Laurent

Calfskin Matelasse Monogram Lou Camera Bag Military Green

Condition: Excellent

$1,250

Saint Laurent

Calfskin Matelasse Monogram Lou Camera Bag Black

Condition: Very Good

$1,295

Saint Laurent

Grained Calfskin Sac De Jour Compact Wallet Fog

Condition: Very Good

$405

Saint Laurent

Calfskin Small Emmanuelle Fringe Bucket Bag Black

Condition: Excellent

$695

Saint Laurent

Smooth Shiny Calfskin Monogram Uptown Pouch Black

Condition: Excellent

$595

Saint Laurent

Calfskin Y Quilted Monogram Small Loulou Bowling Bag Black

Condition: Excellent

$1,550

Saint Laurent

Calfskin Crocodile Embossed Nano Sac De Jour Red

Condition: Excellent

$1,495

Saint Laurent

Python Mica Hat Box Red

Condition: Excellent

$1,095

Saint Laurent

Nappa Venice Sneakers 37.5 Black Gold

Condition: Excellent

$325

Saint Laurent

Grain De Poudre Small Monogram Kate Satchel Black

Condition: Excellent

$1,695

Saint Laurent

Metallic Grained Calfskin Mini Betty Satchel Gold

Condition: Excellent

$695

Saint Laurent

Shearling Small Monogram Kate Satchel Beige

Condition: Very Good

$1,295

Saint Laurent

Smooth Calfskin Le 5 A 7 Hobo Blanc Vintage

Condition: Excellent

$2,195

Saint Laurent

Calfskin Studded Jimmy Cross Slides 37.5 Black

Condition: Excellent

$325

Saint Laurent

Calfskin Y Quilted Monogram Small Loulou Bowling Bag Earth

Condition: Excellent

$1,095

Saint Laurent

Calfskin Large Shopping Tote Dark Beige

Condition: Excellent

$995

Saint Laurent

Lambskin Monogram Sade Puffer Envelope Clutch Black

Condition: Excellent

$1,095

Saint Laurent

Smooth Calfskin Monogram Kate Belt Bag Black

Condition: Excellent

$995

Saint Laurent

Calfskin Matelasse Monogram Lou Camera Bag Black

Condition: Excellent

$1,250

Saint Laurent

Grain De Poudre Zipped Tablet Holder Black

Condition: Very Good

$350

Saint Laurent

Canvas City Backpack Black

Condition: Very Good

$575

Saint Laurent

Grain De Poudre Small Monogram Kate Satchel Black

Condition: Excellent

$1,795

Saint Laurent

Grained Calfskin Nano Sac De Jour Black

Condition: Very Good

$1,595

Saint Laurent

Smooth Calfskin Paris VII Large Flat Hobo Black

Condition: Very Good

$1,495

Saint Laurent

Grained Calfskin Baby Sac De Jour Black

Condition: Excellent

$1,650

Saint Laurent

Calfskin Monogram Baby Cabas Black

Condition: Excellent

$1,695

Saint Laurent

Calfskin Matelasse Monogram Lou Camera Bag Black

Condition: Excellent

$1,675

Saint Laurent

Velvet Matelasse Chevron Medium College Monogram Bag Black

Condition: Very Good

$1,195

Saint Laurent

Calfskin Toy Shopping Tote Earth Grey

Condition: Very Good

$650

Saint Laurent

Calfskin Crocodile Embossed Medium Monogram Sunset Black

Condition: Excellent

$2,495

Saint Laurent

Pebbled Lambskin Medium Easy Sac Black

Condition: Very Good

$350

Saint Laurent

Calfskin Andy Low Top Sneakers 37 Black

Condition: Excellent

$375

Saint Laurent

Calfskin Classic Y Ligne Clutch Light Beige

Condition: Very Good

$495

Saint Laurent

Grain De Poudre Uptown Pouch Black

Condition: Excellent

$625

Saint Laurent

Grain De Poudre Chevron Monogram Bill Pouch Black

Condition: Very Good

$375

Saint Laurent

Canvas Bandana Medium Loulou Chain Satchel Black White

Condition: Excellent

$995

Saint Laurent

Textured Patent Monogram Belle De Jour Clutch Black

Condition: Very Good

$425

Saint Laurent

Calfskin Monogram Sunset Chain Wallet Black Pearl White

Condition: Excellent

$1,495

Saint Laurent

Grain de Poudre Uptown Card Holder Black

Condition: Excellent

$350

Saint Laurent

Grain De Poudre Medium Classic Monogram Kate Satchel Black

Condition: Excellent

$1,850

Saint Laurent

Grain De Poudre Monogram Credit Card Case Black

Condition: Excellent

$275

Saint Laurent

Grained Calfskin Small Cabas Rive Gauche Red

Condition: Very Good

$695

Saint Laurent

Calfskin Small Classic Monogram Kate Tassel Satchel Black

Condition: Very Good

$1,295

Saint Laurent

Calfskin Crocodile Embossed Monogram Belt Bag Black

Condition: Excellent

$995

Saint Laurent

Patent Calfskin Zoe 85 Pumps 36.5 Coquille Black

Condition: Giftable

$425

Saint Laurent

Calfskin Small Sac De Jour Navy

Condition: Very Good

$1,095

Saint Laurent

Lambskin Quilted Baby Bucket Bag Black

Condition: Excellent

$615

Saint Laurent

Grained Lambskin Quilted Mini Becky Double Zip Bag Black

Condition: Very Good

$1,095

Saint Laurent

Calfskin Toy Shopping Tote Black

Condition: Excellent

$795

Saint Laurent

Patent Tribute 105 Platform Sandals 36 Tortoiseshell

Condition: Very Good

$425

Saint Laurent

Canvas Calfskin Teddy Drawstring Shopping Tote White Black

Condition: Excellent

$1,150

Saint Laurent

Glitter Opyum 100 Pumps 37 Black

Condition: Giftable

$595

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