Lifestyle // Women's
Yves Saint Laurent: The Retrospective Comes to Denver
Yves Saint Laurent, Black velvet sheath dress, “Paris rose” satin bow, “Paris” haute couture collection, Fall–Winter 1983. © Fondation Pierre Bergé-Yves Saint Laurent, Paris. Photo by Gilles Tapie.
The internationally acclaimed exhibition Yves Saint Laurent: The Retrospective makes its only stateside stop at the Denver Art Museum, with support from Neiman Marcus, March 25 – July 8. The retrospective, which delves into the designer’s 40 years of creativity, features 200 haute couture pieces along with numerous photographs, drawings, and films that illustrate Saint Laurent’s insurmountable impact on fashion.
Yves Saint Laurent, Short cocktail dress, Tribute to Piet Mondrian, haute couture collection, Fall-Winter 1965. Ecru wool jersey, encrusted with black, red, yellow and blue. © Fondation Pierre Bergé-Yves Saint Laurent, Paris / Photo A. Guirkinger.
The fashion exhibit, that first premiered in 2010 at the Musée des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Paris, explores the full arc of Saint Laurent’s career, from his first days at Dior in 1958 through his final runway collection in 2002.
Yves Saint Laurent, Tuxedo with short skirt, haute couture collection, Spring-Summer 1982. Black-and-white barathea spencer and skirt. ©Fondation Pierre Bergé-Yves Saint Laurent, Paris / Photo A. Guirkinger.
Saint Laurent (1936–2008) transformed the female wardrobe by borrowing the tuxedo, the trouser suit, shorts and the safari jacket from men’s clothing. With iconic designs like the Le Smoking, he turned traditional men’s wear into haute couture and empowered women with a new form of clothing.
Yves Saint Laurent, Long evening ensemble, haute couture collection, Fall-Winter 1983. Domino coat in yellow faille de chine; velvet sheath dress with black lace. ©Fondation Pierre Bergé-Yves Saint Laurent, Paris / Photo A. Guirkinger.
“This exhibition demonstrates the impact of Saint Laurent’s work on the history of fashion and the present-day relevance of his style,” said exhibition curator Florence Müller. “His creations achieved an ingenious symbiotic relationship between setting style and recognizing popular trends that made them not only wardrobe necessities, but also reflected women’s changing role in society.”
Yves Saint Laurent, Torero ensemble, haute couture collection, Fall-Winter 1979. Pink gazar cape; gold and pink lamé bolero and knickerbockers; bright pink satin and taffeta blouse. ©Fondation Pierre Bergé-Yves Saint Laurent, Paris / Photo A. Guirkinger.
Yves Saint Laurent: The Retrospective opens this Sunday at the Denver Art Museum. Shop Yves Saint Laurent in stores and on NeimanMarcus.com.
