"Fashions fade, Style is Eternal" - Yves Saint Laurent
Early Life
Yves Henri Donat Mathieu Saint Laurent was born on 1 August, 1936 in Oran, Algeria to french parents Charles and Lucienne Andree Mathieu Saint Laurent. He grew up along with his two younger sisters Michele and Brigitte in a villa by Mediterranean. He was interested in fashion from an early age. He used to draw women clothing designs in his books. He had a rough childhood. He was teased by his classmates as he was a Homosexual(not sure). They used to beat him and lock him inside restrooms. He said in many interviews that, whenever he was teased by his classmates, he used to reassure himself that "One day you will be famous". In his early teens, he used to design dresses for his mother and sisters. He was very much interested in women's fashion from a very early age.
Road To Success
In 1953, Laurent sent three design sketches to the International young designer competition held by International Wool Secretariat where he won first prize. He was asked to come to paris to receive the award. During his stay at Paris, Michel de Brunhoff, editor-in-chief of Vogue magazine. Brunhoff was a gentleman interested in encouraging young talent. He somehow came to know about the fabulous designs of Laurent and met him. He advised Laurent to join a course of study at Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture. It is the counsil which regulates the Haute Couture industry.
Laurent left Oran for paris and joined the course. Later that year he again entered in the International Wool Secretariat Competition and stood first again. Saint Laurent made some sketches and showed them to Brunhoff and Brunhoff found similarities of his designs with the designs of Christian Dior who was a fashion legend then. Dior sent his designs to publish in Brunhoff's Vogue magazine. When he found the similarities between both designs, Brunhoff took Laurent to Dior and Dior hired the boy on the spot.
After years of hardwork, Dior told Laurent's mother that he had chosen her son to succeed him as designer. In october, 1957 Dior died and Laurent became the Chief designer of the house. Laurent's first collection in 1958 was a massive success which saved the company from financial crisis. In 1960, he introduced the chic beatnik look of turtle necks and black leather jackets edged with fur.
After induction into the french army, Laurent suffered a nervous collapse and he was replaced at the house by designer Marc Bohan. After recovery, he sued against the decision of Dior house and it was said that he received $48,000 in compensation. He decided to start his own fashion house and became one of the most influential designers in Paris in a very short time. At that time, trousers were mostly used by men. He popularized trousers for women for both city and country wear. His innovations include Le smoking- his legendary smoking suit, reefer jacket(1962), the sheer blouse(1966) and jump suit(1968).
"I had noticed men were much more confident in their clothes. So I sought through trouser suits, trench coats, tuxedos, and pea coats to give women the same confidence." - Saint Laurent.
He expanded his business to ready-to-wear, accessories, fragrances, household linens. In October, 1998, Yves Saint Laurent showed his last ready-to-wear collection. At the age of 71, Saint Laurent died after a long period of ill health at his home in Paris on June 1, 2008.
