At the corner of Saint-Honoré and Saint-Roch streets, everything was visible: the stairs, the main gate from where the coffin was to be carried out, and the screen on which the service was broadcast. Quite a lot of people came. But there were also many casual onlookers, tourists who wanted to gawk at the French president and his new wife. And the atmosphere wasn’t exactly very mournful - after all, it was 71, and then it was known that he had been ill all his life. Some young people in shorts, cheerfully interested in what the deceased was actually doing, elderly women who had already been busy in the morning best places at the turnstiles, and the usual drunkenness of a more or less international appearance in such cases, which has a habit of wandering around where tables are set for funerals - this, in fact, was the contingent that gathered at the foot of the Church of Sainte-Roch on the day when Yves Saint's funeral was held there. Laurana.
All the glamor with personalized pink tickets slowly seeped into the temple through enhanced security. From the outside, it resembled fashion shows: security, turnstiles, paparazzi, ladies in black glasses and similar pantsuits a"la smoking is the last demonstration of loyalty to the beloved couturier. Everyone came. And former competitors, and aging clients, and muses that have been released. And the sacred monsters of high fashion, which never gather together in such numbers, because there is an excessive accumulation of them in one place threatens with global cataclysms. But no, Hubert de Givenchy and Sonia Rykiel, John Galliano and Marc Jacobs, Vivienne Westwood and Jean-Paul Gaultier, Valentino came and sat side by side on the same worn-out church pews, as in childhood at Sunday service and Stefan Pilati, Naomi and Claudia... They were all gathered and seated in accordance with the table of ranks: the elderly and honored - closer to the coffin, and those who were younger - further to the exit. (The only one missing was Karl Lagerfeld, the rival of all life, but he also sent from Miami, where he showed the Chanel cruise collection, his condolences and flowers.) Well, in the front row are Nicolas Sarkozy, Carla Bruni, the mayor of Paris, the Iranian Shah Farah, Bernadette Chirac... After all, a state funeral! Everything is first class for the first couturier of France.
Alexandra boulat / VII Yves Saint Laurent preferred the company of his beloved dog, Moujik, to the company of people. He didn't really like any of it. No pathos, no crowds, no high-ranking ceremonies. I was always afraid of them. I was lost. I didn’t know what to do with my hands and face. In almost all the photographs he has such a haunted, frightened look. And this unseeing, confused look from under the glasses. Sorry, thank you, sorry, thank you... And so on through the word. Giving interviews is a pain. Posing for photographs is torture. Even taking the final bows after the runway show is an incredible challenge every time. Of course, if it weren’t for Pierre Berger, he would never have mastered this couture. He loved to draw, locking himself away from everyone in his office on Avenue Marceau, playing with his bulldog Moujik, so named by his elderly affection - Lilya Brik (yes, that same one), reading a few pages from Proust at night. In his old age he became overweight , clumsy and even more timid. He almost never left the house. And there was no particular reason to. It’s not that he was forgotten. But life went on as usual. Without him.
We didn't know him. But I knew his Russian friends. I visited the houses where he visited, looked at the gifts he gave. One day we even talked a little. At the Marigny Theater they performed "The Lady of the Camellias" with Isabelle Adjani in leading role. I was late for the start and plopped down in my seat when the lights in the hall had already gone out. Half of the first act I wondered how I could know the person sitting across from me. left hand. The man was breathing heavily, continually straightening his tie, which seemed to be in his way, fidgeting impatiently in his chair, and sighing. Then at some point he froze, and it seemed to me that he dozed off. I took a closer look. Well, of course, it was him, Yves Saint Laurent. On the left lapel of his blue blazer, a tiny drop of blood, showed the ribbon of the Legion of Honor. The eyes were closed behind heavy tortoiseshell glasses. And it is not clear whether he is sleeping or listening to the lamentations of Marguerite Gautier.
During the intermission, he remained sitting in his chair, somehow immediately sitting up and straightening up, knowing for sure that everyone would be looking at him. I also stayed sitting next to him.
Do you like Ajani? - I asked him, breaking the painful silence.
What? What? - he was scared.
I just asked, do you like Isabelle Adjani, monsieur?
Oh yes, yes. Forgive me, I didn't understand. Do I like Isabel? She's beautiful. But Margarita Gautier... - here he made some strange gesture, as if he was touching the air with his fingers, like silk. “It should take your breath away as soon as she appears.” And you should cry as soon as she speaks. Only Callas could do this.
But Callas didn't speak, she sang...
“Oh, what an insightful observation,” Yves smiled. - How do you know Callas?
Lord, who doesn’t know Maria Callas?
“Exactly half of this hall,” he sighed.
It was a pleasure chatting with him. He had such a soft, gay manner of speaking, bewitching and enveloping his interlocutor without any noticeable effort and, it seems, second thoughts. At one point he even laughed, shyly covering his mouth with his hand. This is what people do when they are embarrassed about their teeth or lack thereof. And it seems that there really were problems with the teeth there. He was touching and somehow cozy. For some reason he was glad that I was Russian. “Oh, I love Russians. “I have a dacha,” he suddenly said without any accent. Russian word, - and Muzhik.”
Which one? - I asked.
He showed the number “four” on his fingers. In the semi-darkness his rings, frames, Blue eyes. And from the outside, one might think that he was making some mysterious passes with his hands, trying to hypnotize me.
eyedea presse / eastnews Yves Saint Laurent founded his fashion house in 1962 together with his companion Pierre Berger He funnyly told how he met Lilya Brik in the lounge for transit passengers at Sheremetyevo Airport (they were flying with Berger from Tokyo, and the transfer to Paris was then in Moscow). How he was struck by her green mink coat, which was super fashionable at that time, and stood out so much among the black astrakhan snowdrifts of Moscow nomenklatura ladies. And this provocative clown makeup of hers with eyebrows drawn on her forehead, a carmine mouth and a red girlish pigtail, which she pulled with her spidery, manicured fingers. How extraordinary she was and how everyone fell in love with her. And not as a myth, but as a woman, although she was already over eighty.
Everyone says: “Age, age...” But in my opinion, this is nonsense. Lilya was younger than many twenty-year-olds. How old are you?
I had to say. Then it turned out that we were both born under the sign of Leo.
“Lions are the coolest,” he said knowingly and began to bend his fingers again. - Look, Mademoiselle Chanel is a Leo. Napoleon - Leo. Fidel Castro is also a Leo...
And Jackie Kennedy,” I said.
And the Queen Mother! - he continued, shaking his fingers clenched into a fist.
And Madonna, I remembered.
No, Madonna is bitch,” he snapped in a tone that brooked no objections. She had no place in his lion pack.
Well, just bitch... - I stood up for the artist.
No, bitch, bitch,” he assured me in a whisper, as the curtain was already slowly creeping up.
The lights went out and the second act began. Isabelle played out. From her frenzied cries: “Armand, Armand, I don’t want to die yet, I’m still so young!..”, it seemed that the walls of the Marigny Theater would collapse. It was strong. I heard my neighbor sob and reach for a handkerchief. Saint Laurent cried. I even asked him in a whisper: “Is everything okay?” But he didn't answer. He was there on stage with the dying Marguerite Gautier.
eyedea presse / eastnews The fifty-year union of Berger and Laurent is part of the history of not only French fashion, but also of European culture of the twentieth century Then applause, bows, shouts of “bravo.” Well, in general, everything is as always. Already at the exit from the theater, in an emphatically secular tone, he asked how long I had come to Paris and where I was staying, and when he learned that I was leaving tomorrow, he seemed not at all surprised and only ceremoniously wished me Bon Voyage. This was another Yves Saint Laurent, fenced off from the whole world by an impenetrable spacesuit of formal, confused smiles, unseeing eyes. A limousine was waiting for him at the exit, and a handsome black-eyed driver in a gray uniform cap, craning his neck, was already looking out for him in the theater crowd. I wanted to take my leave, when he suddenly detained me and, with the same fearful, pleading intonation as at the beginning of our meeting, said, as if not to me, but turning somewhere to the side: “If you are still in Paris, show up. Let's listen to Callas together. I have many of her rare recordings. Very rare. By the way, how do you say “goodbye” in Russian? Dosve... No, no, this is all too complicated for me. Farewell".
And in the morning, when I was already getting ready to check out, a disgruntled messenger brought a heavy bouquet of twenty-five white roses with a note to my room: “To my Russian friend as a souvenir of “The Lady of the Camellias.” YSL."
There was a suffocating, heavy floral smell in the cathedral. Mostly it was roses. Exclusively white and cream colors. And also jasmine and lilies from Marrakech, where she and Berger had the Oasis villa and a wonderful garden, the pride and joy of their whole lives. There Saint Laurent bequeathed to scatter his ashes. It can be assumed that his last will was prompted by a similar order from Lily Brik. No graves, tombstones, curious sightseers or idle tourists. In one case - an exotic Moroccan garden, in the other - a field on the edge of a forest near Moscow. That's all.
Pierre Berger was the first to step up to the pulpit. He spoke quietly and slowly, but his every word fell heavily and resoundingly, like a stone. He talked about his love. About his admiration for the genius of Saint Laurent, about the feeling of pride and admiration that he experienced throughout the fifty years of their union. “I am turning to you for the last time. But know that I will never leave you again." He stood in front of the coffin an old man with an absolutely white, dead face, on which only the eyes lived their lives. The day before, on CNN's Yves Saint Laurent tribute, I saw them burst into flames when Tom Ford was mentioned. The frightened journalist even asked: “Do you think Ford is untalented?” “Yes, I think he is mediocre. Quite possibly he was talented for Gucci, but not for Yves Saint Laurent».
In fact, everything that happened was his fault, Pierre Berger. There was no need to agree to Francois Pinault’s terms when selling the brand. There was no need to give strangers the house that they had created together for fifty years. It was impossible to allow this invited American to host the territory of Yves Saint Laurent. “It would be better if we went broke,” Yves raged when he saw the first Ford collection presented under the YSL label. “Couldn’t you have waited until I died?”
It seems that it is impossible, things were not going well. The competitors were breathing down their necks. The clientele was hopelessly aging. The last perfume sold poorly. I had to think about old age. And not only about their own, but also about those who have worked with them for many years. Of course, Berger did everything right then: he bargained for a lot of money from the Pinaults, created a foundation in their name, equipped a first-class storage facility for several hundred historical dresses, profitably sold all unnecessary real estate, and kept intact the historic office apartments on Avenue Marceau and the maestro’s office. Just what was Yves Saint Laurent himself supposed to do there? Indulging in memories, going through old sketches, counting dresses in storage? What? Sometimes, out of habit, he came here, to the mansion, with his Moujik. He wandered aimlessly along the empty corridors, sat dejectedly in the famous salon with furniture upholstered in green damask, indifferently listened to Berger’s speeches, as always, full of enthusiasm and fire. But home museums joy did not inspire him, the idea of touring the world with old collections brought melancholy. Suitable job there was nothing for him in theater and cinema: those with whom he had worked before had grown old or died, and he did not know new stars and was afraid. “No, it would be better if we went broke...”
“Farewell, my love,” Berger says slowly. This is how the great tragedians of the Comédie Française mourned their lovers in the plays of Corneille and Racine. Solemnly, heartfeltly, tearlessly.
Their fifty-year union is now part of not only the history of French fashion, but also the entire European culture of the second half of the twentieth century. What was it? A meeting between a great impresario and a great artist? A union of two geniuses - commerce and fashion? A tandem of two super-personalities that complement each other?
“This man took all my strength, all my energy, my whole life,” Pierre Berger will say, “but only because I wanted it myself.” It was he who built an impregnable fortress around Yves Saint Laurent, surrounding him with impenetrable ditches and fences, making him a prisoner of his own myth and way of life. It was he who fought his phobias and fears, pulled him out of regular depressions and binges, hid bottles of whiskey and cartons of cigarettes from him, chased away greedy hangers-on and cocaine dealers, fearlessly entered into fights with his offenders and slanderers. It was he who kept all his countless friends and companions on a tight leash, jealously ensuring that they were always dressed in YSL from head to toe, so that they were always ready to entertain and inspire. For this, Berger was ready to pay them with money, fame, connections, free dinners at Relais Plaza and Le Palace, liters of Opium and Rive Gauche. He did not forgive anyone even for attempts at treason. All were to serve and serve his deity, his Sun King.
But the frantic fanaticism of this worship also had its own calculation: Yves Saint Laurent symbolized what in French is called savoir-vivre, but is not entirely accurately translated into Russian as “the ability to live.” This concept itself has a long pedigree, dating back to the Versailles holidays and lost in the series of Trianon entertainments of Marie Antoinette. Life, conceived, directed and played out as one endless holiday. But not the Hemingway, bohemian one, with cheap wine, available girls and a hearty dinner in a Montparnasse brasserie. And a holiday, exquisitely served on silverware and Limoges porcelain, with servants in white gloves, with expensive wines and expensive women in Haute Couture outfits. Yves Saint Laurent is the direct heir of Proust's Swann. By some incomprehensible, supernatural effort, he alone managed to preserve in the last third of the twentieth century the illusion of the Grand Siecle, the aura of high society, which had long ceased to exist, but which strangely continued to live and triumph in his collections.
In reality, everything looked more prosaic: the “light” of Saint Laurent are the glamorous heirs of once great families, artists, performers, talented rogues, simply beautiful people without money and special activities, infinitely far from genuine aristocracy. Essentially the same bohemian, but who managed to acquire the status of a ruler of thoughts and a trendsetter in the disco era. More precisely, Yves Saint Laurent made it this way, generously giving his court girls and boys the titles of muses, princesses, princes, and at the same time elevating the idea of savoir-vivre into a kind of main trendsetter cult, which was regularly worshiped by the entire progressive public on both sides of the Atlantic.
And Berger’s task was to maintain this cult at the appropriate level, not to slow down, making it a super successful commercial project. Actually, all his life he did just that: he turned the genius of Yves Saint Laurent into a myth, and the myth into big money. "Goodbye my love".
Now it's Catherine Deneuve's turn. She has almost no makeup. In black. The same golden mane of the Daytime Beauty extends over her shoulders. Around his neck is a red ruby heart - the Saint Laurent emblem, which, together with his annual Christmas cards, was a symbol of the house and its secret amulet.
“Everything goes on and on, nothing perishes.
Dying is not what you thought it would be, but it’s better.”
What is she talking about? - the lady sitting next to me asks me in a whisper.
It seems that she hears poorly, sees even worse and is clearly annoyed that she ended up in the last rows with someone unknown, and her elegant black hat, pearls and mournful expression will not be noticed by the right people from the front rows, for whom she came here.
These are poems, madam.
Do you think Deneuve composed them herself?
Don't know. It seems not.
Catherine read Yves Saint Laurent's favorite poems - "Leaves on the Grass" by Whitman. I read it very unactor-like. I was worried. It was noticeable. Her voice broke and trembled, like that of a debutante at the entrance exams. But she was still beautiful.
Belle de Jour. The first and main of Saint Laurent's women. And tuxedos on naked bodies are her. And the masculine shoulders of jackets, and the narrow waist, grabbed by a poisonous green sash, and stiletto heels that can kill. And all these leopard prints, and safari dresses, and African Look with long clip-on earrings swinging heavily at the level of the collarbones, and Russian caftans, and boas made of raven wings, and a weightless coat made of pink marabou feathers - all this is her, Catherine Deneuve. A woman made of steel and alloys who has not forgotten how to blush with excitement and cry like a little girl. Probably, in his most secret dreams, Yves Saint Laurent imagined himself as her, brave, strong, free from bourgeois prejudices and pitiful male complexes. Gerard Depardieu said quite straight about her: “Catherine is the man I would like to be.”
I had an interview with her at one of the Cannes Film Festivals and asked her what it meant to her to be Yves Saint Laurent's muse. “I was never his muse,” Katrin shrugged it off. - There were others as muses: Lulu de la Falaise, Betty Catroux... It’s just that every season I ordered dresses from him and attended his shows. We were friends, of course, but keeping our distance. I didn’t want (and he didn’t insist) to become part of his “court.” Yves was incredibly generous, sweet and kind. I keep all his letters, drawings, gifts, Christmas cards. And in fashion he was a real lion and knew how to do incredibly daring things that only a very timid person could dare to do.”
Catherine Deneuve read Whitman, and I remembered the finale of Yves Saint Laurent’s farewell gala at the Stade de France, where she and Laetitia Casta sang a duet to the soundtrack of “My Greatest Love Story is You.” Then everyone was afraid that Saint Laurent would not stand it, would cry, or, even worse, collapse right on the podium. He really could barely stand on weak legs, looking around with crazy eyes, until Catherine took his hand and led him backstage, literally dragging him along. She took him away from the battlefield, like a wounded soldier from under fire. And at that moment she looked least like the queen of glamor, the icy Beauty of the Day. Elder sister, a sister of mercy - that’s who she was for him at that moment. And all my life.
...Dying is not at all what you thought, but it is better.
The last year has been the hardest. Relatives knew that the end could come at any minute. Something happened to his coordination. He kept falling. I broke my arms and collarbones. Both of his shoulders were broken. During one of the examinations at the American hospital in Neuilly, a final diagnosis was made: brain cancer. He could not drink, eat, or even hold a pencil on his own. Last month he could no longer speak. He closed himself off in a mournful silence, into which no one could penetrate, not even Berger. Three weeks before his death, they entered into PACS (the gay equivalent of a civil marriage).
"We decided that this should be a symbolic act," Berger said. But also practical. After all, now, on absolutely legal grounds, he could dispose of the entire huge inheritance of Yves Saint Laurent. Today, just a few months after his friend's funeral, his main concern is preparing for a grand auction - the sale of the famous art collection that they both collected over forty years. Why such haste? Is it dictated by the financial problems of the YSL-Berge Foundation? Is there a threat of legal claims from other heirs - after all, Saint Laurent's ninety-five-year-old mother and both of his sisters are still alive? There are many versions, but Berger maintains an icy and contemptuous silence, as he has maintained all these years regarding the real state of affairs of the YSL House and his true relationship with Saint Laurent.
And then suddenly Maria Callas began to sing. I recognized her immediately. He promised that someday we would listen to it together! Casta Diva, Casta Diva... An immortal voice rushed somewhere under the very dome of Saint-Roch, filling the entire space of the cathedral, drowning out all the horns and noises of the big city, which continued to live its everyday life, for which this state funeral was blocked for traffic Rue Saint-Honoré is just an annoying nuisance. And the voice sang, and begged, and soared at some unattainable, transcendental height, accessible only to the great Callas and, probably, now to Saint Laurent.
By a strange coincidence, several Parisian newspapers wrote that in terms of its significance and emotional resonance, his funeral was comparable to the departure of Maria Callas thirty years ago. A feeling of emptiness and the end of an entire era. It was as if the curtain had been lowered forever before our eyes. And it’s not very clear what to do next. That is, continue to do everything the same as before, but having come to terms with the fact that the time of kings and queens is gone forever. And no one will sing Casta Diva like that, and there will be no couture collections, where just the transitions of beige to sand-gray took your breath away, and the traditional entrance of the “bride” was capable of winning an ovation that is no longer dreamed of at the Grand Opera. It's all over, gentlemen!
As the coffin, covered with the French national flag, was carried out of the main gate of Sainte-Roch, according to theatrical tradition, someone tried to applaud. But for some reason it turned out false. After all, Yves Saint Laurent was not a rock star or famous actor. He clearly didn't want this applause. Most of all he loved silence. “And remember, no Père Lachaise!” - he once implored Berger, knowing his friend’s passion for state pomp and theatrical effects. Home to Marrakesh, where he was happy, where he hoped to spend his old age, away from Paris, from all those who love and hate, from the past and the present, in which there was nothing left for him to live for.
For some time we all stood on the stairs, watching the presidential limousine drive away and Yves Saint Laurent’s mother get into the car. And at that moment, all the participants in the funeral ceremony looked like confused orchestra members left without a conductor and instruments. For some reason, it was awkward to leave immediately, although everyone had urgent matters, irritated drivers, and unanswered calls.
And now someone was broadcasting into a microphone about great loss France, someone happily posed for the paparazzi who came running like locusts. And next to me, behind me, someone’s muffled voice muttered displeasedly that it would be nice to go to Meurice right now from here and eat something. It's close, on Rivoli, and local chef Yannick is said to work wonders. The gentleman was clearly hungry, and the protracted funeral tired him.
Who told you about Meurice? - his companion asked tiredly.
And at that moment, all three of us, as if on command, raised our heads and looked at the whitish June sky. WITH
Yves Saint Laurent is a name known to everyone, even those who are not familiar with the world of high fashion. He was a great fashion designer, fashion artist, a man who changed the course of the history of the fashion industry.
The brilliant fashion designer Yves Henri Donat Mathieu Saint Laurent was born in 1936 in Algeria, in the city of Oran. His family were hereditary lawyers, but the boy was only interested in working with fabric. Even at a young age, he created sketches and sewed doll-sized dresses.
When the family of the future fashion designer moved to Paris, by that time Yves had graduated from school and began working part-time as a clothing designer and stylist. He was a regular participant in design competitions. In 1953, he managed to take third place in one of these competitions and met the editor-in-chief of the French division of Vogue magazine.
He advised Yves Saint Laurent to enroll in a design course, and after some time introduced him to the famous fashion designer Christian Dior. A year later, the young designer showed his first collection at a fashion competition in Germany and won three out of seven awards, beating up-and-coming German young designer Karl Lagerfeld. From that moment on, a long-term rivalry between the two fashion designers began.
Yves Saint Laurent. Fashion designer career
Christian Dior ( Christian Dior) took on 19-year-old Laurent as his junior assistant at the House of Dior. While working under the guidance of the maestro, Yves Saint Laurent created sketches of exquisite accessories, which he showed to Dior. From year to year, more and more sketches were realized and demonstrated on the podium.
Yves Saint Laurent was 21 years old when Christan Dior died. He takes the place of mentor and becomes the chief designer of the House of Dior. Having become the heir of the legendary fashion designer, Saint Laurent presents his first collection. He introduced the “trapezoid” shape, which freed the women’s wardrobe from excessive pretentiousness and a strict waist. This became a revolution in fashion, and the press wrote about this event that “the great traditions of the House of Dior continue to live” even after the death of the head of the company.
At that time, Yves Saint Laurent came stunning success. However, thanks to his rebellious spirit, his career was doomed to ups and downs. In 1960, the fashion designer presented his new collection called Beatnik. The main attributes of the show were luxurious mink coats with narrow knitted sleeves, suits with turtlenecks and short leather jackets. It was defiantly luxurious, but the House of Dior was not ready for such changes.
Dior's overly conservative management fired Yves Saint Laurent and hired another designer in his place. This was a strong blow for him, which Pierre Berger helped him cope with. Together they also managed to sue a huge sum for illegal termination of the contract with the House of Dior. It was Pierre Berger who was destined to become Saint Laurent's friend, support and lover for life.
After Yves Saint Laurent left Dior, he joined the army, but the fragile and sensual guy could not stand even a year and ended up in the psychiatric ward of a military hospital, which broke him. But even here Pierre Berger came to the rescue.
With the money won in court, Saint Laurent opens his own fashion house, Yves Saint Laurent. From that moment on, a great story began under the sign of three golden letters - YSL.
Today there are 7 distinctive looks of the YSL House:
1. Mondrian dresses with a characteristic decor in the form of large colored cells
2. Safari style
3. Woman suit tuxedo style
4. Pantsuit
5. Thin transparent shirt
6. Long and loose skirt combined with a caftan (“Russian Seasons”)
7. Ethno-African motifs in clothing
In 1966, the first YSL Rive Gauche pret-a-porter boutique opened. It was the first boutique of its kind in the history of the fashion industry. Everything was displayed there: clothes, jewelry, accessories and perfume. The Yves Saint Laurent fashion house began to generate millions in revenue and turned into an empire.
But since the late 80s, trademark Yves Saint Laurent began a real crisis. I had to sell part of the shares to third-party companies, which had a very bad effect on the quality of execution. Suffering from multiple illnesses, drug addiction and an unhealthy lifestyle, Yves Saint Laurent handed over the leadership of the company to fashion designer Albert Elbaz, and then left the fashion world to lead a secluded lifestyle and rarely appear in public.
The legendary fashion designer and designer Yves Saint Laurent died on June 1, 2008 in Paris. He had brain cancer.
Yves Saint Laurent. Personal life
The talented fashion designer devoted almost his entire life to high fashion. He was almost always busy drawing sketches and creating new models. In his spare time, Yves loved to pose for his friend's paintings. He could also often be found in fashionable clubs.
While still young, Yves Saint Laurent became addicted to grass and soft drugs. This greatly affected his well-being and health. Perhaps, with a different lifestyle, he would still be alive today.
The fact that he was in a psychiatric hospital also had a strong impact. The fashion designer suffered from manic-depressive syndrome, he was very worried about it, and it caused him a lot of suffering.
The couturier has always been the love of his life alone the only man- Pierre Berger.
This man helped him in literally everything; they lived, worked and rested together. One day Berger cheated on him with a fashion model. Laurent responded by betraying him with Jacques De Bascher. After this they separated, but continued to work together.
Celebrity biographies
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06.05.15 12:12
Claiming: “Style is me,” the French wizard regretted that he had not invented jeans. Even a person who does not follow fashion trends knows that it was he, Yves Saint Laurent, who “invented” the legendary Opium perfume. The biography of the couturier, like any of us, has known light and dark streaks, a rapid rise and a long, painful decline. It all started with the fact that a 21-year-old newcomer was invited to manage the Dior fashion house.
Biography of Yves Saint Laurent
Born in a French colony
He was born far from European centers fashion - in Algeria - August 1, 1936. Later the family moved to France, and Yves Henri Donat Mathieu Saint Laurent settled in Paris at the age of 17. He took courses in fashion design, and in 1955 he was able to get a job as an assistant to Christian Dior himself. He turned out to be a very capable young man, and when the master died suddenly in 1957, it was Saint Laurent who was offered the post of artistic director. A year later, he presented his first personal collection of women's clothing to the pampered metropolitan public.
Legendary "YSL"
Soon young man drafted into the army. He was sent to Africa, but Yves Saint Laurent's military biography did not work out. Less than three weeks later, the impressionable recruit, who experienced a nervous breakdown, was sent home and then treated in a psychiatric hospital.
Having secured investments from the famous American tycoon Mark Robinson, the aspiring couturier opened his own fashion house. He was assisted by his partner, Pierre Berger. They came up with the “YSL” logo and, having started work in 1961, entered the world market with their first collection a year later.
Revolutionary "haute couture"
The French genius turned out to be a true haute couture revolutionary. Being a homosexual, he adored androgynous images and hired very thin, boy-like models. He “gave” women boots and a tuxedo, working in a “unisex” style. And yet, it was this designer who decided to put dark-skinned beauties on the catwalk.
A huge success awaited the couturier in 1965 - this year's collection was inspired by the work of the Dutchman Piet Mondrian. The Dutchman professed the same techniques as Kandinsky and Malevich, so abstractionism reigned on the models of Yves Saint Laurent.
Cult perfume
In the early 1970s, the designer began to expand his sphere of influence and began producing perfumes under his own brand. First, perfumes were born, the names for which were suggested by the area of the French capital - a refuge for bohemians, Rive Gauche. And for the sake of advertising a men's fragrance, the fashion designer organized his own nude photo shoot.
The cult perfume “Opium” appeared in 1977 and created a real sensation. This oriental fragrance still remains popular among ladies who know their worth.
Drawing inspiration from ballet
Another bright page in the biography of Yves Saint Laurent is the costumes he invented for ballet performances. He was a big fan of the choreography of the magnificent Roland Petit, and collaborated with him on the play “Cathedral Notre Dame of Paris" Maya Plisetskaya dressed in a “miracle from Saint Laurent” while performing “The Death of the Rose,” and Petit’s wife, dancer Zizi Jeanmer, was delighted with the costumes that the master came up with for her numbers.
But the French film star Catherine Deneuve was proud of her friendship with the master, the charming blonde inspired Saint Laurent to new discoveries, and he gladly “packed” her beauty into his outfits.
Nothing is eternal
At the peak of his fame, Yves Saint Laurent became a laureate of the International Award of the Council of Fashion Designers of the United States, an exhibition was dedicated to him at the legendary Metropolitan Museum, and then, in his homeland, he was awarded the Order of the Legion of Honor. But his stormy youth and bohemian life were not in vain; already in his early fifties, Yves’ health was very seriously compromised. He tried to be treated for addiction to alcohol and drugs, which also did not have a very good effect on the business. In the 1990s, the fashion house of Yves Saint Laurent was experiencing a crisis; the master himself almost retired, entrusting the collections to his successor (this was the aspiring couturier Alber Elbaz).
In 2002, he almost never appeared in public - he felt very bad, and he died in 2008, the first summer. On June 5, half of Paris came to say goodbye to legendary fashion designer, traffic in the area of Rue Saint-Honoré was blocked.
Personal life of Yves Saint Laurent
Love to death
At the age of 22, Yves Saint Laurent met Pierre Berger. They became both business partners and lovers. It was Berger who secured huge investments from billionaire Robinson in his and Saint Laurent’s future brainchild – the Fashion House. This romantic relationship ended in 1976. One of the reasons is called Berger's jealousy. Allegedly, Yves Saint Laurent destroyed his personal life himself, having become carried away by Lagerfeld’s boyfriend Jacques De Bascher. Pierre did not forgive the betrayal, but retained his creative union with the fashion designer. And almost before his friend’s death, he even agreed to marry Yves.
When inspiration was overflowing
The ups and downs of Yves Saint Laurent's personal life and his inspired creativity are shown in two biopics, released almost simultaneously (in 2014). Both of them are French-made. In the film "Yves Saint Laurent", shown at the Cannes Film Festival, the couturier is played by Pierre Ninet. And in the film “Saint Laurent. “Style is me,” the role of the famous compatriot is played by the talented Gaspard Ulliel.
On August 1, one of the most iconic fashion designers of our time, Yves Saint Laurent, would have turned 77 years old. A brawler and a pioneer, he made a real revolution in the world of fashion. In honor of the great couturier’s birthday, we decided to recall 10 of his most original and revolutionary decisions that forever changed the world of fashion.
The Yves Saint Laurent brand (which has now been renamed Saint Laurent Paris on the initiative of new creative designer Hedi Slimane) is a real revolution in the fashion world. And the credit for this, of course, belongs to its creator and creative designer Yves Saint Laurent. He created a style that is timeless and allows every woman to be fashionable while remaining individual. He himself was bright, interesting personality and a bit of a visionary who sensed better than the fashionistas themselves what they would want to wear tomorrow.
“The best clothing for a woman is the embrace of a man who loves her. But for those who are deprived of such happiness, there is me.”
He was only 19 years old when the great Christian Dior liked his drawings. He became his assistant and then his successor. An unthinkable act at that time. After all, Dior himself was 41 years old when he opened his House. Such a brilliant career was interrupted by military service, nervous breakdown, followed by the hospital.
What's your favorite color? - Black. - The quality that you value most in people? - Tolerance. - What is your main drawback? - Shyness. - What are you always ready to forgive? - Betrayal.
He remained a neurasthenic throughout his life. But it was already the 60s - the era of just such brilliant neurasthenics who grew up in luxury. In 1961, 25-year-old Saint Laurent opened his own House. In subsequent years, he forever changed the world of fashion, offering something that no one had thought of before.
African style dressesHis African collection, presented in 1967, is still considered one of the most important in the history of fashion and one of the best in the designer’s work. The collection was inspired by memories of short period military service on this sun-dried continent. He included exotic motifs of primitive jewelry, bright wooden beads, and high African hairstyles.
“Visiting Marrakesh was a huge shock for me. This city taught me color".
Women's tuxedo
In 1966, Yves Saint Laurent made a real revolution in the world of fashion: he dressed a woman in a tuxedo, which was considered exclusively men's clothing. The new look from Laurent instantly won the love of Parisian fashionistas, and became truly popular after Le Smoking was immortalized in a photo shoot for Vogue by cult photographer Helmut Newton.
Saint Laurent himself liked to repeat that a woman’s tuxedo is part of the style, and not a fad of fashion. After all, fashion changes, but style is eternal.
Catherine Deneuve, Francoise Hardy, Liza Minnelli and a great many society ladies immediately dressed in Yves Saint Laurent tuxedos.
Sheer blouses
In 1962, Yves Saint Laurent became involved in a big scandal. The reason for this was the transparent blouses created by the designer. However, Yves never paid attention to criticism. He was sure that he knew better than the women themselves what they needed. And he was right, over the years this has been confirmed.
Over the knee boots
Most women today don’t even realize that they have Saint Laurent to thank for the opportunity to wear over the knee boots. After all, it was he who included this part of the once only men’s wardrobe in his collections of women’s clothing.
Pret-a-porter line
In 1966, the designer opened his first boutique, Rive Gauche, named after what was then considered a haven of anarchists on the left bank of the Seine, making another revolution - the store sold casual wear, in no way inferior to the evening one. Since then, designers have presented pr?t-?-porter collections twice a year (spring and autumn).
Safari style
For quite a long time, safari-style clothing was worn only by hunters and naturalists, but in the 50s, thanks to cinema, it won the love of fashionistas all over the world. In 1968, YSL's famous safari-style collection was presented, causing a boom among fans of the couturier's work and radically changing the idea of what travel clothing should look like. The iconic Saharienne lace jacket from this collection is still considered business card fashion house.
Leather jacket
In the 1962 collection, Yves Saint Laurent invited women to try on leather jackets, then only black. So women, again, should owe their ever-fashionable leather goods to the genius of Saint Laurent, and not to the commissars of the 20s.
Unisex style
Friendship with Betty Catroux inspired Yves Saint Laurent to create a unisex style. The socialite, who became the fashion designer's muse and devoted friend, had an androgynous appearance and early realized what kind of clothes suited her. She mostly wore “men's” things: trousers, jeans, simple sweaters, shirts, T-shirts, men's jackets and shoes. She never changed this style. With her appearance and attitude to life, she inspired the great master Yves Saint Laurent to create a style that combined masculine and feminine together. From that time on, the unisex style began its triumphant march through the fashion world.
Black fashion models
Participation in fashion shows dark-skinned models became another scandalous innovation of the great couturier. The career of the famous “black panther” Naomi Campbell began with a fashion show during the YSL fashion collection. In August 1988, she appeared on the cover of French Vogue as the first black model. This was preceded by a threat from her friend and mentor Yves Saint Laurent to withdraw all of his advertising from the magazine if the editors refused to place a photo of Campbell or any other black model on the cover.
“I owe him a huge debt,” said Naomi Campbell. “He supported me, and therefore all girls of color.”
His father wanted Yves to become a lawyer, but his mother strongly welcomed her son’s passion for fashion and did not mind that he went to Paris immediately after school.
Soon, the editor-in-chief of French Vogue, Michel de Brunoff, drew attention to the young fashion designer’s sketches and published them on the pages of the publication. After which Yves met the great couturier himself, Christian Dior. In 1995, he became an assistant to the head of the most famous French house - Dior. Two years later, Christian unexpectedly died and Saint Laurent was given a tempting offer that he could not refuse - to become Dior's successor.
In 1958, he created the “Trapezoid” collection, which brought resounding success to the House of Dior. In 1960, Yves Saint Laurent created a new “Beatnik” collection, introducing cropped motorcycle jackets and suits with turtlenecks underneath. The collection again aroused delight among fashion connoisseurs, but not among investors of the fashion house, who, frightened by the designer’s innovative ideas, got rid of him and sent him to the army. The graceful and subtle Yves had a hard time in the service.
Having won the court due to the premature termination of the contract, with the money received in the form of compensation, Yves Saint Laurent and his friend Berger opened their own fashion house, Yves Saint Laurent.
His first collection created an indelible sensation - he brought models to the catwalk wearing clothes with elements men's suit. Girls paraded in double-breasted suits, cropped trench coats and transparent blouses. In 1966, the designer created a women's tuxedo, which made his name a legend in the fashion world.
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In 1993, Yves Saint Laurent sold his House to the pharmaceutical giant Sanofi for $600 million and devoted himself exclusively to haute couture, producing haute couture collections until 2002. His last prêt-a-porte show, which was known for 30 years under the Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche label, took place in 1998. One year later Fashion house Yves Saint Laurent was sold to the Gucci group, and his creative director American designer Tom Ford was appointed, replacing fashion designer Alber Elbaz in this post.
In 2002, Yves Saint Laurent officially retired, staging a retrospective fashion show at the Pompidou Center as a farewell show, which was completed by his main muse, actress Catherine Deneuve.
Their last days Yves Saint Laurent lived in seclusion at the Villa Majorelle in Marrakech. On June 1, 2008, he died before reaching the age of 72. His ashes, according to his will, were scattered over the garden of Villa Majorelle, which he loved very much.
Personal life
Stick to unconventional sexual orientation. In 1958, he met designer Pierre Berger and lived a long and happy life with him.
Interesting Facts
Full name - Yves Henri Doni Mathieu Saint-Laurent
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