From Picasso to Proust, celebration of Yves Saint Laurent at six Paris museums highlights art and literature’s influence on his fashion
- Sixty years after the French fashion designer held his first catwalk show, museums from the Louvre to the Centre Pompidou are looking back at his career
- In different ways they show the bond Saint Laurent’s work had with art and literature, from his homage to Piet Mondrian to his passion for writer Marcel Proust
In an unprecedented move, six of Paris’ most prestigious museums have come together to celebrate the legacy of Yves Saint Laurent.
Called Yves Saint Laurent aux Musées, the collaborative project marks the 60th anniversary of the first Yves Saint Laurent catwalk show, on January 29, 1962, just a month after the Paris fashion house was established.
The six exhibitions each highlight a different aspect of the late designer’s prolific career, with the installations pairing some of his most celebrated creations with artefacts in the host museum’s permanent collection. Overall, the project highlights the strong bond Saint Laurent’s work had with art and literature.
One of the most influential designers of the 20th century, Saint Laurent, who was born in Algeria to French parents, was only 26 when he established his eponymous fashion house, having teamed up with long-time life and business partner Pierre Bergé.
Saint Laurent was one of the first designers to bring art to life in his creations. His autumn/winter 1965 collection, which paid homage to Piet Mondrian, incorporated the artist’s two-dimensional paintings into clothes, giving the artwork a three-dimensional quality.
This dialogue with artists continued throughout his career, with Saint Laurent paying tribute to Henri Matisse, Georges Braque, Pierre Bonnard, Fernand Léger, Vincent van Gogh and Pablo Picasso.