Yves Saint Laurent Biography

Vita

• 1936

  Yves Saint Laurent is born into a wealthy family in Algeria. He grows up in a villa on the Mediterranean where he develops an early interest in fashion.

• 1947

  YSL enjoys making intricate paper dolls, and in his early teens he designs clothes for his mother and sisters.

• 1953

  Yves Saint Laurent enters the annual competition of the Secrétariat International de la Laine in Paris. He submits three sketches and wins first prize.
  
  During his first stay in Paris at the age of 17, he meets the editor-in-chief of Vogue (Paris), Michel de Brunhoff, with whom he continues to correspond after his return to Oran.

• 1954

  He moves to Paris and once again participates in the annual competition of the Secrétariat International de la Laine in Paris.
  
  He wins first prize, which brings him to the attention of Christian Dior.
  
  Thanks to De Brunhoff's encouragement, he enrolls at the École de la Chambre syndicale de la Haute Couture.

• 1955

  He secures an apprenticeship with Christian Dior, where he learns the intricacies of haute couture. He becomes Dior's assistant and helps create the iconic “A-line” silhouette.

  

• 1957

  Wins a competition for young fashion designers and moves to Paris, where he finds work with Christian Dior. After Dior's death in 1957, Saint Laurent is chosen at the age of 21 to be the head designer of the haute couture house.

• 1958

  Meets Pierre Bergé, beginning a personal and professional relationship that would last until the end of his life.

• 1960

  Saint Laurent is recalled to Algeria to fight in the military in the war for independence. He falls ill and is granted a medical exemption, but when he returns to Paris, he finds that he has lost his job at the House of Dior. He sues his former mentor for breach of contract and wins a settlement of £48,000.
  
  This money gives him independence and allows him to start his own fashion house.

• 1964

  YSL in collaboration with perfumer Jean Amic releases first fragrance, “Y”.

  

• 1966

  Saint Laurent launches his own label, Yves Saint Laurent, and introduces “Le Smoking”, the women's tuxedo jacket or pantsuit, challenging traditional gender norms in fashion. His designs are immediately acclaimed and he becomes a leading figure in the fashion world.

  

• 1967

  He opens the first ready-to-wear boutique, Rive Gauche, in Paris, making high fashion accessible to a wider audience.

• 1971

  He presents a collection inspired by 1940s fashion, including the use of bold colors and patterns, further establishing his reputation as an innovator.

  

• 1983

  He becomes the first living designer to be honored with a solo exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, celebrating his contributions to fashion.

• 1985

  Saint Laurent receives the prestigious Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur from the French government in recognition of his influence on the fashion industry. Caroline Rennolds Milbank writes in her book Couture: The Great Fashion Designers, “The most consistently celebrated and influential designer of the past twenty-five years, Yves Saint Laurent can be credited with both spurring the couture's rise from its Sixties ashes and with finally rendering ready-to-wear reputable.”

  

• 2001

  French President Jacques Chirac makes him a Commander of the Legion of Honor.

• 2002

  Saint Laurent announces his retirement from the fashion industry, ending a remarkable career that has left an indelible mark on haute couture. He retires in Marrakech.

• 2007

  President Nicolas Sarkozy finally elevates him to the rank of Grand Officer of the Legion of Honor.

• 2008

  Yves Saint Laurent dies on June 1 after a brief illness, leaving behind a legacy of innovation and creativity that continues to influence the fashion world.