| |
Yves Saint Laurent 1936-2008
by Cherie Prior, GOBI Bibliographer
Yves Saint Laurent, a name synonymous with French couture, died from a brain tumor on June 1, at the age of 71. Through his lifetime, he repeatedly turned the fashion world upside down and many of today's most popular styles are the result of his influence.
Born August 1, 1936 in Oran, Algeria, Saint Laurent left home at 17 to go work for Christian Dior after winning first prize in the International Wool Secretariat. When Dior died suddenly in 1957, Saint Laurent, who was only 21 at the time, became the chief designer and successfully carried the fashion house into the decade. His first collection for the House of Dior included the Trapeze dress, a design that quickly became popular and is now one of the most recognizable styles of the 60's.
In 1961, Yves Saint Laurent left Dior to open his own fashion house, which premiered its first collection the following year. Over the next few years he revolutionized women's clothing with the introduction of the pantsuit. At that time there was an expectation that professional women should wear skirts, stockings, and heels. Women's pantsuits, a style taken for granted today, didn't exist. Saint Laurent began to copy many popular men's fashions but then he would tailor it to a women's body. This masculine/feminine fashion hybrid culminated in 1966 when he introduced probably his most notable design, the women's tuxedo jacket or "Le Smoking." Saint Laurent is quoted as saying "fashion is not only supposed to make women beautiful, but to reassure them, to give them confidence, to allow them to come to terms with themselves."
The line between men and women's fashion had been blurred, if not erased completely, thanks to Saint Laurent. However he wasn't finished changing the look of fashion. In the late 70's he veered away from the highly structured masculine styles he was known for and began designing elegant gowns as well as releasing a line of soft, flowing dresses and peasant tops inspired by the Russian ballet. Oscar de la Renta described them as being "as influential today as when he first designed them." Overall, throughout the 60's and 70's, Yves Saint Laurent was responsible for many other trends, including sheer blouses, thigh high boots, safari jackets, and pea coats.
Saint Laurent did more for the fashion world than just design clothes; he also changed the industry itself. During the late 60's, he began opening boutiques featuring a line of ready-to-wear clothing under the label Rive Gauche. By promoting ready-to-wear clothing he believed he was democratizing fashion and paved the way for many of the ready-to-wear lines available to consumers today. He also was one of the first designers to use black models on the runway as well as in ad campaigns.
Though his popularity started to diminish after the 70's, Yves Saint Laurent has continued to remain the foundation for many of the current fashion trends. "Every time you work on a tailored jacket, you wonder if Saint Laurent would approve," says designer Mark Badgley. So while the world mourns the death of this visionary, it is well acknowledged that the contributions of Yves Saint Laurent will continue to impact and influence the world of fashion. "Though he has left us, his works will stay part of our lives." -Jean-Paul Gaultier
Below please find a list of books related to fashion and Yves Saint Laurent. For your convenience, this list is also available in a MS Excel spreadsheet. click here.
20TH CENTURY FASHION
• AUTHOR: MENDES, VALERIE
• PUBLISHER: THAMES & HUDSON
• CONTENT LEVEL: GEN-AC
• $18.95 Paper (288 P.)
• ISBN-13: 9780500203217
• B&T YBP
BEAUTIFUL FALL: FASHION, GENIUS AND GLORIOUS EXCESS IN 1970S PARIS
• AUTHOR: DRAKE, ALICIA
• PUBLISHER: BLOMSBURY-UK
• CONTENT LEVEL: GEN-AC
• $41.80 Cloth (438 P.)
• ISBN-13: 9780747570370
• B&T YBP
CHANEL AND HER WORLD: FRIENDS, FASHION, AND FAME
• AUTHOR: CHARLES-ROUX, EDMONDE
• PUBLISHER: VENDOME
• CONTENT LEVEL: GEN-AC
• $60.00 Cloth (384 P.)
• ISBN-13: 9780865651593
• B&T YBP
CHRISTIAN DIOR: THE BIOGRAPHY; TRANS. BY JOANNA SAVILL
• AUTHOR: POCHNA, MARIE FRANCE, 1941-
• PUBLISHER: OVERLOOK
• CONTENT LEVEL: GEN-AC
• $37.95 Cloth (320 P.)
• ISBN-13: 9781585677023
• B&T YBP
COMPLETE FASHION SOURCEBOOK
• AUTHOR: PEACOCK, JOHN
• PUBLISHER: THAMES & HUDSON
• CONTENT LEVEL: GEN-AC
• $34.95 Paper (423 P.)
• ISBN-13: 9780500285725
• B&T YBP
EMPIRE OF FASHION: DRESSING MODERN DEMOCRACY; TRANS. BY CATHERINE PORTER
• AUTHOR: LIPOVETSKY, GILLES, 1944-
• PUBLISHER: PRINCETON UNIV PRESS
• CONTENT LEVEL: ADV-AC
• $18.95 Paper (276 P.)
• ISBN-13: 9780691102627
• B&T YBP
FASHION SOURCEBOOKS: THE 1960S
• AUTHOR: PEACOCK, JOHN, 1943-
• PUBLISHER: THAMES & HUDSON
• CONTENT LEVEL: GEN-AC
• $10.95 Paper (64 P.)
• ISBN-13: 9780500280409
• B&T YBP
FASHION SOURCEBOOKS: THE 1970S
• AUTHOR: PEACOCK, JOHN, 1943-
• PUBLISHER: THAMES & HUDSON
• CONTENT LEVEL: GEN-AC
• $10.95 Paper (64 P.)
• ISBN-13: 9780500279724
• B&T YBP
FIFTY YEARS OF FASHION: NEW LOOK TO NOW
• AUTHOR: STEELE, VALERIE
• PUBLISHER: YALE UNIV PRESS
• CONTENT LEVEL: GEN-AC
• $26.00 Paper (176 P.)
• ISBN-13: 9780300087383
• B&T YBP
GOLDEN AGE OF COUTURE: PARIS AND LONDON, 1947-57
• AUTHOR:
• EDITOR: CLAIRE WILCOX
• PUBLISHER: VICTORIA & ALBERT MUSEUM
• CONTENT LEVEL: GEN-AC
• $55.00 Cloth (224 P.)
• ISBN-13: 9781851775200
• B&T YBP
HOW FASHION WORKS: COUTURE, READY-TO-WEAR AND MASSPRODUCTION
• AUTHOR: WADDELL, GAVIN
• PUBLISHER: BLACKWELL SCIENCE
• CONTENT LEVEL: GEN-AC
• $43.99 Paper (211 P.)
• ISBN-13: 9780632057528
• B&T YBP
IS FASHION A WOMAN'S RIGHT?
• AUTHOR: BECKINGHAM, CAROLYN
• PUBLISHER: SUSSEX ACADEMIC PRESS
• CONTENT LEVEL: GEN-AC
• $62.50 Cloth (276 P.)
• ISBN-13: 9781845190774
• B&T YBP
NOTHING IN ITSELF: COMPLEXIONS OF FASHION
• AUTHOR: BLAU, HERBERT
• PUBLISHER: INDIANA UNIV PRESS
• CONTENT LEVEL: GEN-AC
• $24.95 Paper (302 P.)
• ISBN-13: 9780253213334
• B&T YBP
PARIS, 1962: YVES SAINT LAURENT AND CHRISTIAN DIOR: THE EARLY COLLECTIONS
• AUTHOR: SCHATZBERG, JERRY
• PUBLISHER: RIZZOLI
• CONTENT LEVEL: POP
• $75.00 Cloth (176 P.)
• ISBN-13: 9780847831289
• B&T YBP
|
