Yves Saint

Laurent

Later Yve created the ‘Left Bank’ collection known as the “Beat Look” that unfourtanetly was not such a shit. He was called for Military service around this time and the house of Dior replaced him with Marc Bohan. The very fragile Yves, did not last many weeks in the army and after spending a couple months in the hospital came back to sue the House of Dior in 1962. With his masterful list of contributions Yves took his talent, and his partner Pierre Berge and opened his own house. He then began his journey creating many valuable pieces to us today. His work has contributed to fashion in the forms of art, le smoking, pants for women, famous “Mondrian” dress, along with other art inspired pieces. Yves Saint Laurent was inspired by many things throughout history and recreated beautiful fashion pieces from them. His menswear division was started in 1974, he is noted for his recognizable initials that can be found on cosmetics, perfumes and much more. In the late 1980’s a new couturier Christian Lacroix opened a house, Karl Lagerfeld’s popular contributions to the fashion world were not going unnoticed, which was not an easy time for Yves Saint Laurent. He made it through and was still very noted as the “King of Fashion”. After many years of contributions, success and impeccable fashion, Yves Saint Laurent sadly passed away in Paris on June 1st 2008, after a long battle with cancer. He will never be forgotten.

Yves Saint Laurent was born in Oran, Algeria. His early interests in theatre, and costume design eventuall lead him to go to Paris in 1954 to enter a design competition. He wont first prize2. along with Karl Lagerfeld and later that year enrolled in Chambre Syndicale. 1955 was a very special year for Yves, he met Christian Dior and was hired. Christian Dior sadly past away shortly after, leaving Yves Saint Laurent to takeover the house in 1957. His first collection, that included the Trapeze silhouette made a very successful impression.

Photos from 1966, 1975, 1976, 1979 Le Smoking

Premiere Tuxedo Fall-Winter 1966 (right)

1979

Evening gown- Fall Winter 1968.

Yves Saint Laurent- Sheerness

Autumn/Winter 1968

Ethnicity African collection, 1967

African Collection- 1967. Inspiration that had rooted from his hometown Algeria

Spring Summer 1989 Cocktail dress with Muslim influences and details.

Evening ensemble Fall Winter 1969 Including a wool jersey turban.

BOLD USE OF COLOUR

Evening Gown Spring/ Summer 1969

Evening Ensamble Fall/Winter 1990. Incredible mix in colour- vulture feathers.

Evening Coat from 1971 and other bold uses of colour, 1970’s GLAM.

Art Influences Yves Saint Laurent Yves Saint Laurent had many dresses inspired by incredible artists, these artists included Piet Mondrian, Henri Matisse, Fernand Leger, George Braque, and Pablo Picasso.

“Doves and Guitar” – Evening dress in tribute to Georges Braque – Spring Summer 1988

Mondrian Dress, Autumn/Winter

1965

Cocktail Dress in

Tribute to Piet

Mondrian. Fall-Winter

1965

“Mondrian is purity and

one can go no further

in purity in paiting. This

is a purity that joins

with that of Bauhaus.

The masterpiece of the

20th century is a

Mondrian.” – Yves

Saint Laurent, quoted

by Laurence Banaim.

A tribute to Tom Wesselmann, Fall-Winter 1966.

Evening gown, a Tribute to Henri Matisse – Fall- Winter 1980

Alber joined the Israeli Defence Force before choosing fashion design and taking up a course at Shenkar College. Elbaz was born in Casablanca, Morocco, in 1961 and moved to Tel Aviv, Israel, when he was 10. In 1987, he moved to New York and began working for Geoffrey Beene where he was influenced by Beene's rejection of trends and masterful draping techniques. Elbaz was hired as creative director of French couture house Guy Laroche in 1996, adding his own contemporary take without alienating its .

In 2001 he was made creative director at Lanvin and has since become known for designs that are timeless, feminine and made in the finest of fabrics. Elbaz adores women.He has won numerous accolades for his contributions to fashion design including the CFDA's 2005 International Designer award and, in 2007, he was awarded the highly prestigious Legion of Honour in Paris.In November 2010, Elbaz designed one of the most covetable high street collaborations in fashion history - the H&M for Lanvin lines. Fans queued through the night for a chance to buy pieces from the range. Since his takeover in 2001, Alber Elbaz is the creative director of Lanvin, one of the world's most revered fashion houses.

In 1998, Alber was offered a job at Yves Saint Laurent designing womens ready-to-wear. "For me, this isn't a career move, but the realisation of my life's dream," Elbaz said in a press release from YSL. The appointment was short lived and, after the Gucci Group bought YSL Rive Gauche in 2001, Tom Ford - then Gucci's creative director - dismissed Elbaz to assume all design responsibilities himself.

Alber Elbaz

Le smoking

Alber Elbaz had a short lived career with YSL but still managed to re-create his own version of ‘Le Smoking’ in his Spring 2000 RTW collection for Yves St Laurent.

Elbaz takes Sheerness to a whole new level in this Spring 2000 collection.

Sheer Fabrics

BOLD USE OF

COLOUR These brightly coloured pieces are all from the Spring 2000 collection. Each including another element of YSL as well, such as sheer fabrics.

Plunging Necklines Low plunging necklines were used in a variety of different pieces in the Spring./Summer 2002 collections. Including swimwear, dresses, coats and more.

Animal Instincts

Animal influences are show by Elbaz in both the FW 200 and SS collections. The top left piece reminds me of an original YSL, including the sheer top and feather bottoms. Fur coat from the same collection and a python print for spring.

TOM FORD Ford was born in Austin, Texas, but spent most of his childhood in Santa Fe, N.M. Ford moved to New York when he was very young where he enrolled at New York University, he had originally studied art history, before later decidingto study architecture at Parsons School of Design in New York and Paris, finishing his training at Parsons in New York City. Ford moved to Milan in 1990 and joined Gucci as the company's women's wear designer. In 1992, he became design director of Gucci and in 1994 he was appointed creative director. Tom Ford was appointed head of design for all product lines including clothing, perfumes, as well as designer for the group's corporate image, advertising campaigns and store design.

In January 2000, following the acquisition of Yves Saint Laurent and YSL Beaute by the Gucci Group, Ford assumed the position of creative director of Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche and YSL Beaute.” Ford continued his duties at Gucci, while also working with all creative teams at YSL to define the overall image and positioning of the YSL brand. In April 2004, Ford resigned from his post at Gucci Group following a buyout by Pinault Printemps Redoute. No longer working for Yves St Laurent, or Gucci, Tom ford went on to build his own business and expand his personal brand. Which is currently doing very well, and is worn by many powerful sexy women.

The following pieces all have

elements of le smoking, while

being very true to Tom Fords

“sexy style” This collection was

Spring 2004.

Le Smoking

Sheerness

Tom Ford has done sheer on a variety of levels for YSL. Including the Not-so-there sheer swimsuit in Spring 2003, and sheer with a dark twist in Fall 2003.

BOLD USE OF COLOUR

Tom Ford gives us a repeat of bold use in colours in his F/W 2003 collection (bottom left corner) and in F/W 2004

beautiful bold pieces.

Bold use of colour in print, for Spring/Summer 2003.

... Fall/Winter 2004.

Animal Instincts

Tom Ford used many animal prints and safari influences in this Spring

2002 RTW collection.

Ethnicity Asian Influences in this Fall 2004 RTW collection by Tom Ford. Very traditional while including sexy elements.

Born in Milan in 1965, Stefano Pilati originally intended to qualify as a land surveyor and professed an early interest in architecture. He eventually realised that it was not meant for him, and abandoned his course, which would have qualified him as a land surveyor, to undertake an internship with Nino Cerruti at the age of 17. He first started sketching for his sisters, he gathered inspiration from their fashion magazines, which later down the road lead him to greater things. In 1993 he was hired by Giorgio Armani as a menswear design assistant but in 1995 he left to become the head of research and development at Prada. The designer was promoted to assistant designer at Miu Miu in 1998, where he worked on menswear and womenswear. In 2000 he was named the head designer for Yves Saint Laurent and worked under Tom Ford for four years before being appointed creative director when he took over from Ford in 2004. Like Yves before him with the 'le smoking' look, Pilati has created other trademark items for YSL, namely the Muse bag he designed in 2005 . “Pilati admits working under the legacy of Saint Laurent is sometimes intimidating. "Saint Laurent did everything," he told the New York Times in 2008. "You go to the YSL archives, and you feel he thought of any idea I could ever imagine. It's intimidating." On February 27 2012, Pilati had announced to the public that he will be stepping down from his role at Yves Saint Laurent. His next move has not yet been confirmed. "I join Paul Deneve and the house of Saint Laurent in thanking Stefano for his dedication and contribution to the story of Yves Saint Laurent," PPR chairman and ceo François-Henri Pinault said in a statement. "I personally wish him all the best."

Stefano Pilati

Le Smoking

Kate Moss for Autumn/Winter 2007/2008

2012 F/W Collection on the runway.

Stefano Pilati’s spin on ‘Le smoking’ has all of the classic elements, mixed into a variety of pieces that are recognizable to elements of the original Le Smoking Tuxedo’s

Stefano Pilati - Sheerness

Pilati knows how to do sheer! Gorgeous, pieces from the S/S 2011 collection, also showing gorgeous use of colour, another recognizable factor of YSL.

BOLD USE OF

COLOUR

There was so many beautiful bright pieces in this most recent YSL Spring 2012 collection.

Ethnicity

Ethnic

Influences Once again, from Stefano’s fabulous Spring 2012 collection he pulls out bold colours, with ethnic inspired prints and long flowy skirts perfect for the upcoming season.

Religious

Inspiration A very nun-like collection

by Pilati from Fall 2010, he said the collection was

about “protection.”

Now +Then

Yves Saint Laurent himself has created a legacy, that will live on now that he has left us. He has contributed a very great amount to the world of fashion, art and women. The designers work who have been shown throughout this project include Alber Elbaz, Tom Ford and Stefano Pilati. These designers have all been inspired by Yves fashion contributions and have all continued to use the original elements, tailoring, and inspirations to create modern pieces of their times. Fashion is always changing, and as will the house, but there is always going to be the classic elements of design that are recognizable throughout the history and the future of Yves Saint Laurent. What will the future have in store? I look forward to it and I hope to see recognizable classics in the times to come.

What will Hedi Slimane bring to the YSL future?