Yves Saint Laurent – Fall 09

Yves Saint Laurent

Perhaps it’s my new Netflix addiction or maybe it’s just the changing of the season…can we call it that when it’s still 104 degrees in Sept? I so want to delve into fall fashion. Whatever the reason I have been on a fashion documentary bender lately. Valentino, YSL, Coco … I can’t seem to get enough.

Yves Saint Laurent
Yves Saint Laurent

As a Fashion Editor and stylist I often receive a barrage of resumes and pleading emails to be my intern or assistant but I have learned the hard way that these days most little fashion chickie’s who want to live the fashion life, don’t seem very educated on the subject of haute couture or pret-a-porter at all. Let me tell you sister, reading W mag, logging on to style.com and knowing who Anna Wintour is does not a fashion guru make… how I digress! In any case after viewing YSL docu-flix for the umpteenth time it reminded me of just why I love Yves so madly and why everyone should know how magnifique he is.

YSL through the decades
YSL through the decades

At the ripe old age of 19 he worked for Christian Dior and took over just two year later after Dior’s passing. Like Madam Chanel he changed contemporary fashion in so many ways from successfully feminizing men’s pant suits, to creating the first fashionably sultry safari’s looks (then Tom Ford knocked them off… uh hmm make that reinvented them with both YSL and Gucci and made a mint) plus he was the first couturier to hire African American models in Paris… the man was outside the box when we didn’t even realize there was a box.

Veruschka in YSL
Veruschka in YSL

And let’s not even gush about the wardrobe he designed for Lee Radizwill the socialite, actress, interior designer sister of Jackie O or the amazing over the knee boots and trench coats.

YSL circa 1960's
YSL circa 1960's

Of course his empire was sold to the Gucci group in 98 and Saint-Laurent retired in 02 but even today his esthetic runs rampant through the labels strong sexy silhouettes. He was the father of power dressing after all, and though Stefano Pilati has given his own modern twist to collections as of late there is still plenty of “French”ness to spare.

YSL Fall 09
YSL Fall 09
YSL Fall 09
YSL Fall 09

Some of my fav’s from the fall collections embody that classic motorcycle jacket from SL’s days at Dior to the Rive Gauche’ look made famous in his own boutiques, even better the collection consisted of mostly black and white and heaven knows how much I appreciate being able to avoid any bother of color coordinating at 6 am

YSL Fall 09
YSL Fall 09
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8 comments
  1. Thanks to you, we are all a little more educated than the InStyle.com reader. Thanks for the posts, Diane! I wonder, at the age of 24, if there’s still time for me to look like Veruschka is that picture….I believe there is hope.

  2. Magnifique, absolument enchante’ Diane. My best friend is a photographer for elite and fashion guru..I once met Pat Cleveland at her appartment in Milano-YSL’s Modrian, warhol inspired prints, to his very choice of model-more often than not his muses, all add to the detail pf a true magician-artiste…RIP for me you are Dieu de la mode, pas prince!!

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