An unforgettable journey through art history with Yves Saint Laurent as a guide

From the ancient world to pop art, Yves Saint Laurent regularly took inspiration from art history as he combined colours, carved out new forms and rethought the structure of garments in order to create his own masterpieces.

Juxtaposing his creations with art works from the collections of five major Paris institutions – the Musée d’Orsay, the Louvre, the Centre Pompidou, the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris and the Musée National Picasso – this book explores the couturier’s homages to the masters of art and his never-ending quest for new means of aesthetic expression. Androgynous silhouettes and Proustian gowns stand alongside the elegance of Impressionism; a feathered coat responds to Jackson Pollock’s drip paintings; flowing silhouettes merge with a mural by Raoul Dufy; Lucio Fontana’s neon lights make metallic fabrics sparkle; and bold appliqué motifs echo The Dance by Henri Matisse. This is an unforgettable journey through art history with Yves Saint Laurent as a guide.

About the Authors:

Mouna Mekouar is an art critic and independent curator based in Paris, France. She was associate curator of Simple Shapes at Centre Pompidou-Metz (2014) and was curator at the Palais de Tokyo, Paris, from 2012 to 2014. Stefan Janson is a fashion designer and co-curator of Yves Saint Laurent at the Museums. Madison Cox is director of the Saint Laurent Museums in Paris and in Marrakech, and president of the Pierre Bergé-Yves Saint Laurent Foundation.

The world’s leading authorities on fashion and design celebrate the 60th anniversary of YSL’s first runway presentation with a lexicon that includes many images from the designer’s extraordinary archives.

Yves Saint Laurent (1936–2008) is credited with reviving French haute couture in the 1960s, with making ready-to-wear reputable, and with using non-European cultural references. In addition to the kaleidoscope of images in this book, a coterie of tastemakers have supplied listings that encompass YSL’s style inspirations (C is for Costumes, as exemplified by the Russian theme of the famed autumn-winter 1976–77 collection; T is for Tuxedo, which the designer initially referenced with his 1965 “Le Smoking”) and important facets of his life (J is for Jardin Majorelle, the garden of the couturier’s paradisiacal retreat in Marrakech; R is for Rive Gauche, the bohemian, chic neighborhood of Paris where the YSL boutique is situated and also the name of the house’s famous perfume launched in 1970). This distillation and celebration of the designer’s life reveals the inner world of a twentieth-century master. 

About the Authors:

Martina Mondadori is the founder of Cabana magazine. Stephan Janson is a fashion designer.

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Пролистать книгу YSL Lexicon: An ABC of the Fashion, Life, and Inspirations of Yves Saint Laurent

On January 21, 1971, couturier Yves Saint Laurent presented his Spring-Summer haute couture collection. Inspired by the garments of the war years, the collection included short dresses, platform shoes, square shoulders, and exaggerated makeup. The show caused an outrage among the public, the critics, and the press alike, earning it the title of “Paris’s ugliest collection.” Nevertheless, the haute couture designs of the runway made their way to the boulevards, giving full sway to the “retro” trend that quickly conquered the streets.

Yves Saint Laurent: The Scandal Collection, 1971 offers a behind-the-scenes look at the influential collection that “drew fire in the fashion world” — from the collection’s inspiration to the press coverage that followed. Beautifully illustrated and documented with well-researched essays, this book is enriched with personal interviews and archival photographs of the show, the models, the designs, and the textile and print samples, as well as sketches and international press clippings.

About the Authors:

Olivier Saillard is the director of the Palais Galliera, Museum of Fashion, and the curator of the Yves Saint Laurent 1971: The Scandal Collection exhibition.
Dominique Veillon is a historian.

An incredible collection of Yves Saint Laurent’s designs, beautifully captured by the leading fashion photographers of the 20th century

Yves Saint Laurent: Icons of Fashion Design & Photography is a gorgeous homage to the uncrowned king of haute couture. Originally published in 1988, the book traces the success of Saint Laurent’s haute couture and ready-to-wear designs from 1962 to 1988 through the lens of the world’s leading fashion photographers, including Richard Avedon, Helmut Newton, William Klein, and more. Inside, 135 photographs document Saint Laurent’s groundbreaking designs worn by the most beautiful women of the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s: Audrey Hepburn, Twiggy, Jean Shrimpton, Mounia, and Veruschka. Saint Laurent was equipped with an infallible instinct for reading the aesthetic signs of the times, and this enabled him to have a profound effect on fashion. With an introduction by Marguerite Duras, this classic volume documents Saint Laurent’s ever-evolving artistry and the combined efforts of the world’s most talented fashion photographers and is as beautiful and rewarding as one of Saint Laurent’s creations.

About the Author:

Marguerite Duras (1914–1996) was an acclaimed French writer and filmmaker.

‘YSL: The initials evoke allure and sophistication, and this brilliant illustrated portrait of the iconic designer has both’ Tatler

Yves Saint Laurent is a name synonymous with style, elegance and high fashion. When he came on the scene at Dior and then started his own line, he quickly changed the way people regarded haute couture and the world of fashion itself. He revolutionized women’s evening wear when he introduced Le Smoking, a woman’s tuxedo, and made couture accessible to a younger generation.

Yves Saint Laurent is Roxanne Lowit’s personal photographic history of Saint Laurent, the man and the fashion, from 1978, the year she first met him, to the last show he gave in 2002. With contributions from YSL’s muses and admirers, including Catherine Deneuve, Betty Catroux, Lucie de la Falaise, Pat Cleveland and Valerie Steele, this book represents the backstage experience at YSL’s shows as Lowit experienced them herself. Whether surrounded by beautiful models or peeking at the catwalk from the wings, every moment was a magnificent photo opportunity. Lowit shares magical moments of YSL with the world – intimate, social, absorbed in fashion – and creates a unique portrait of this towering figure of postwar couture.

Contents List:

Introduction • The Photographs, interspersed contributions from YSL’s muses and admirers.

About the Author:

Roxanne Lowit is a New York-based fashion photographer who started taking pictures in the 1970s. Her photographs have appeared in many magazines, including Vogue, Vanity Fair, Elle, V Magazine and Glamour, and she has worked on numerous advertising campaigns for, among others, Dior, Barney’s and Vivienne Westwood. Pierre Bergé was Yves Saint Laurent’s partner and co-founder of Yves Saint Laurent Couture House.

The first comprehensive overview of Yves Saint Laurent’s haute couture collections, presented through original catwalk photography

Founded by Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé in 1961, shortly after the young couturier left his post at the helm of Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent would soon become one of the most successful and influential haute couture houses in Paris. Introducing Le Smoking, the first tuxedo suit for women, in 1966, Saint Laurent also presented iconic art-inspired creations, from Mondrian dresses to precious Van Gogh embroidery and the famous Ballets Russes collection.

This definitive publication opens with a concise history of the house, followed by a brief biographical profile of Yves Saint Laurent, before exploring the collections themselves, organized chronologically. Each collection is introduced by a short text unveiling its influences and highlights, and illustrated with a gallery of carefully curated catwalk images. These showcase hundreds of spectacular clothes, details, accessories, beauty looks and set designs – and, of course, the top fashion models who wore them on the runway. A rich reference section concludes the book.

About the Authors:

Suzy Menkes is the international editor of Vogue.

The Musée Yves Saint Laurent Paris is home to the collection of the Fondation Pierre Bergé – Yves Saint Laurent, which holds over 34,000 objects.

Jéromine Savignon is a fashion historian and the author of several texts on Yves Saint Laurent, including Yves Saint Laurent's Studio: Mirror and Secrets.

Contents List:

Preface by Andrew Bolton • Introduction by Suzy Menkes • Yves Saint Laurent: A Short Biography by Suzy Menkes • The Making of a Collection by Olivier Flaviano • The Collections 1962–2002

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Prada Catwalk: The Complete Collections

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Chloé Catwalk: The Complete Collections

An authoritative book published in collaboration with Christie’s, featuring photographs of the Bergé Saint Laurent collection in situ, complete with estimated value information and final auction prices.

In February 2009, 733 pieces from Pierre Bergé’s and Yves Saint Laurent’s art collection - one of the world’s largest private collections - was auctioned off in a record-breaking sale of the century.

Modern paintings, baroque bronzes, antique silverware, statues, cameos, and minerals comprise this diverse collection that furnished the pair’s two luxurious residences in Paris, and included major works by Picasso, Brancusi, Matisse, Mondrian, in addition to furniture by the Art Deco masters Eileen Gray and Jean Dunand. Many works sold for prices far exceeding the highest estimates.

The five-volume catalog published by Christie’s for the event sold out before the end of the auction, leaving collectors and art connoisseurs the world over empty-handed.

This new book features one hundred of the most important pieces from the collection with detailed commentary by Christie’s experts. An introduction by Christie’s vice president François de Ricqlès revisits the intense three-day auction at the Grand Palais. An appendix includes images of the works sold, accompanied by their estimated values and final auction prices.

Publication coincides with the auction of the collection from their Château Gabriel property in November 2009.

A unique visual journey exploring Asia's influence on Yves Saint Laurent

Yves Saint Laurent was always fascinated by the art and culture of Asia. Taking his cue from elegant brocades, lavish embroidered silks and delicate lacquerwork, he used his collections to construct his own imaginary vision of the East, a dreamlike realm of luxury and delight. Influences from India, China and Japan are brought together here in a glittering showcase of Asian-inspired couture, alongside the designer’s original sketches and a selection of striking art objects from his personal collection.

Contents List:

Introduction • India • China • Opium • Japan

About the Authors:

Aurélie Samuel is Director of Collections at the Yves Saint-Laurent museums in Paris and Marrakesh.
Olivier Flaviano is the Director of the Yves Saint-Laurent Museum in Paris.

Yves Saint Laurent is one of the world’s most famous designers, whose haute couture collections have deeply marked society and revolutionised the image of women.

All About Yves documents the life of this great designer, from his childhood, to the seminal moments of his career, up until his death in 2008. This one-of-a-kind book includes unseen sketches and photographs of Saint Laurent’s key collections, as well as fascinating removable documents that include handwritten letters, paper dolls, contact sheets, magazines and invitations. All About Yves was compiled in collaboration with the Fondation Pierre Bergé – Yves Saint Laurent and is essential reading for those with a passion for YSL.

About the Author:

Catherine Örmen studied at the Ecole du Louvre, Ecole du Patrimoine and Studio Bercot, and is an expert on the history of fashion. She works as a curator, teacher and author, and has written several reference works on the history of fashion, including L’art de la Mode and Dior for ever.

An exclusive homage to – and retrospective of – the iconic fashion designer's couture accessories

'One can never overstate the importance of accessories. They are what turns a dress into something else. I like dresses to be sober and accessories to be wild', Yves Saint Laurent, 1977.

Yves Saint Laurent Accessories is the first book to date to shed light on the breathtaking accessories created by one of the most influential fashion designers of all time. From his first collection in 1962 to his acclaimed final presentation in 2002, Yves Saint Laurent created exquisite jewellery, hats, shoes, and handbags to complement and enhance each of his couture creations. Beautifully designed, in a small format evocative of a jewellery box, the book offers an unprecedented glimpse into the highly confidential archives of The Yves Saint Laurent Foundation in Paris, which is home to over 20,000 remarkable accessories.

The book features specially commissioned photography of the accessories alongside a treasure trove of rare materials including preparatory sketches, intimate portraits of Saint Laurent at work, behind-the-scenes snapshots of models, catwalk photographs, and advertising campaigns. Yves Saint Laurent Accessories introduces readers to a prominent yet rarely seen side of Saint Laurent's art, leading them backstage and through the history of a house that helped to shape the course of fashion.

About the Author:

Patrick Mauriès is a French writer, editor, and journalist. He has written over forty titles, including books on Christian Lacroix, Karl Lagerfeld, Yves Saint Laurent, Jean-Paul Goude, and Chanel. He is a regular contributor to Vogue, Purple Magazine, AD, and The World of Interiors.

Featuring the star pieces from fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent's art collection – including works by Cézanne, Picasso, Mondrian and Matisse

Yves Saint Laurent was more than a designer of clothing – he was, for many, one of the great style arbiters of the twentieth century. His talent made him the youngest and brightest star in the firmament of fashion, first with Christian Dior, who chose him as his successor, and later in his own right as the shy but daring creator of the modern woman’s wardrobe.

His private life was the subject of constant public fascination, and the homes that he shared with his lifelong friend and business partner Pierre Bergé were extraordinary private cocoons of taste and style. Ivan Terestchenko’s photographs – taken after Yves Saint Laurent’s death in 2008 – capture these exquisite surroundings and cultured luxury for the last time.

Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé amassed an exceptional collection of furniture and paintings over some forty years. It included important works by Picasso, Matisse and Mondrian, Old Master paintings by Goya, Ingres and Géricault, and masterpieces of furniture, sculpture and silver from the Renaissance to Art Deco.

Not a single piece from the collection was sold until the year following Saint Laurent’s death. A historic sale by auction at the Grand Palais in Paris became the stuff of legend months before it even took place.

This book, revealing a rare union of passion, taste and supreme connoisseurship, stands as a monument to two of the greatest taste-makers of our time.

About the Authors:

Robert Murphy is Paris correspondent for American fashion and lifestyle magazines W and Women’s Wear Daily
Born in England and educated in France, Ivan Terestchenko read History of Art at the Ecole du Louvre and was a painter until the age of 30 when he switched to photography and landed his first assignment with French Vogue. He contributes to many international publications.

In collaboration with Fondation Pierre Bergé–Yves Saint Laurent.

Yves Saint Laurent's signature style intertwines references from the art world with those of popular culture and social revolution. Since its establishment in the 1960s by the designer and Pierre Bergé, the Yves Saint Laurent haute couture house has redefined femininity, creating arguably the most famous (and sexiest) suit for women, "Le Smoking" tuxedo, and innovative collections with names such as Pop Art, Ballet Russes, and Picasso.

This retrospective book is the first to cover the forty years of Yves Saint Laurent and highlights the inventive character of the designer's work. Over 160 of his finest designs and accessories, all taken from the Fondation Pierre Bergé–Yves Saint Laurent collection, are presented. The book is the companion volume to an exhibition that will travel to The Montreal Museum of Fine Art and the de Young Museum in San Francisco.

About the Author:

British-born Hamish Bowles is a fashion journalist, curator, and currently European editor-at-large for Vogue. He lives in New York City. 
Florence Müller is a historian, a correspondent for the magazine Surface, and a professor at Institut Français de la mode in Paris where she lives.

A dazzling portrait of Yves Saint Laurent and his world of fashion, by legendary photographer Roxanne Lowit, who pioneered backstage fashion photography

Few couturiers were as influential as the great Yves Saint Laurent. He pioneered ‘le smoking’ and ready-to-wear. Drawing inspiration from diverse cultures and contexts, he was a master at telling new stories through his designs. He toyed with stereotypes and reframed the familiar – elevating streetwear, reimagining the peasant blouse as an item of luxury, reinventing traditionally male cuts for his modern woman. Some of his haute-couture collections won rave reviews, while others sparked controversy – but they never failed to stir conversation, inspire trends, and point to the future.

Saint Laurent’s path crossed with that of photographer Roxanne Lowit in 1978. He was unveiling his latest collection in Paris when she first ventured backstage, a newcomer who had just read the instruction manual for her new camera. Thus began a professional relationship – and mutual admiration – that would last for a quarter-century. She captured the behind-the-scenes dynamism at his shows. And when the Metropolitan Museum of Art unveiled a retrospective of his work – the first time it had bestowed such an honour on a living designer – she was there to capture it all as his official photographer.

As Saint Laurent dressed le beau monde, Lowit photographed it. His work was luxe and louche, beautiful and brazen, and she captured his creations as they came to life on the glamorous people who wore his famed label. Through her unique lens, one shares stolen glances and gorgeous glimpses of what can be created by the hand and the eye of a master. Through her images, one experiences the vibrant, visual power of Yves Saint Laurent.

A tortured genius and one of the most influential designers of the twentieth century, Yves Saint Laurent was responsible for revolutionising the way women dressed and viewed themselves.

During a wildly creative career stretching from 1958 to2002 Saint Laurent established a reputation for accessible, flawlessly cut clothes. He became an overnight sensation in 1958, aged 21 when he showed his 'Trapeze' collection, his first for the House of Christian Dior, following the master's death. Four years later, Saint Laurent opened his own couture house and within a few seasons was hailed by Vogue's Diana Vreeland as 'the pied piper of fashion'.

Viewed as a master colourist and admired for his choice of sultry fabrics, his great gift was creating lasting styles - described by Vogue as 'stockpiles of essentials in times of famine' - that flattered all shapes and sizes. As well as designing wardrobe classics like the 'Le Smoking' tuxedo for women, the Safari jacket, the trench and the pea coat, and introducing trousers into haute couture, he also dressed international style icons such as Catherine Deneuve, Marella Agnelli and Lauren Bacall. With his nose for the zeitgeist, Saint Laurent recognized the global power of street fashion and launched Rive Gauche, his ready-to-wear boutique line in 1966.

Christened 'The Saint' by Vogue, every element of his fashion empire, which included exhilarating couture collections, exquisite accessories and sought-after perfumes, was captured by Vogue's writers and leading photographers like Richard Avedon, David Bailey and Norman Parkinson.

One of the most distinctive and influential designers of the second half of the twentieth century, Yves Saint Laurent takes his place in the pantheon of French couturiers, alongside Coco Chanel, Christian Dior, and Jeanne Lanvin

"Yves Saint Laurent", the first comprehensive retrospective of his life’s work, will accompany an exhibition of some 250 garments from the collection of the Fondation Pierre Bergé - Yves Saint Laurent at the Petit Palais in Paris.

From his early days working under Dior and heading the House of Dior after his mentor’s death, to the opening of his first prêt a porter shop on the Rive Gauche and the debut of the Le Smoking tuxedo, to the muses he adored, Loulou de la Falaise and Catherine Deneuve among them, this volume reveals the breadth and scope of the designer’s entire career. With a preface by Pierre Bergé, author Faride Chenoune explores the sources of inspiration that drove Saint Laurent’s continuous innovation, drawing upon painting, sculpture, theater, opera, literature, and cinema.  

About the Authors:

Farid Chenoune is a fashion historian and author of several books, including A History of Men's Fashion and Beneath It All: A Century of French Lingerie, as well as a contributor to French Vogue. He lives in Paris.  

Florence Müller has written many books and catalogues and organized several exhibitions on fashion history and the phenomenon of contemporary fashion. She teaches these subjects at the Institut français de la Mode. She worked as UFAC Director and Curator at the Musée des Arts de la Mode, Paris. Among other titles, she has published Costume Jewelry for Haute Couture and Art & Fashion.