The House Yves Built: Musee Yves St. Laurent

“The boy might become something one day, if he would simply cut his hair and follow me.” (Coco Chanel speaking about Yves Saint Laurent)

This exhibition was very personal for me. When I first arrived in Paris years ago, I discovered the way I dressed myself throughout my teens and 20’s was unconsciously, inspired by Yves Saint Laurent. I wore copies of the Mondrian dress and accessorized it with go-go boots, made my own safari jacket to wear over straight legged trousers, loved my paisley printed skirts and boleros and was the first to rush out to buy a fur trimmed flared coat (inspired by the designer’s Ballet Russes collection). Within two years of arriving in Paris, I landed a job writing fashion for a magazine, where from time to time, I was sent to pick up press materials from the press attache of Yves Saint Laurent. Each time I attended a fashion show, or walked through the doors of this famous right-bank mansion, I felt overwhlmed with great reverence--as if I had entered a temple. So now, with the passing of both the couturier and his business partner, a visit to this newly opened museum was a way for me to pay my respects to one of the greatest designers of the 20th century.

Three iconic looks made famous by St. Laurent: the tuxedo, the Mondrian dress, the safari jacket

Housed within the historic setting of the late couturier’s couture salon, the Musee Yves Saint Laurent is a shrine entirely dedicated to the late designer’s work. On the ground floor are videos of him explaining his work as well as those assistants, workers and press people who manned the ateliers and offices. They recounted their experiences and even revealed a few secrets as to how certain signature looks were constructed. Upstairs, a 450m2 space over two floors serves as a showcase for 50 garments accompanied by accessories, jewelry, sketches, photographs and videos. A very special treat awaits visiters on the top floor. The atelier complete with the desk of Mr. St. Laurent and his team, wall art, bolts of fabrics, trims notes and sketches have all been preserved for the public’s viewing pleasure.

Classic fashion by the master

Master of refinement, elegance and perfection in style, Yves Saint Laurent—the man behind the famous initials: YSL-- dominated the fashion landscape throughout the latter half of the 20th century. His career began at Dior as an assistant before taking over the reins of the house after Christian Dior’s sudden death in 1957.

The 1971 "scandalous" collection featured fashions from the 1940's. It was a huge success!

Jackets almost like jewelry, they were so ornate!

He was only 19 years old at the time but his time there was cut short. After two successful seasons of designing pretty little silk dresses, he broke rank and frightened Dior’s administrators by introducing “street” inspired garments: pea jackets, leather jackets and other ideas deemed unnoble) in Dior’s Haute Couture salons. Consequently he was unexpectedly drafted into the army and tossed out of his job.

Inspired by exotic lands.

Inspired by movements in art

While suing for reinstatement, he met businessman, Pierre Berge who found investors and soon launched Saint Laurent’s own namesake couture house. The young designer made headlines with ground breaking looks that inspired a generation: the Mondrian dress (1965) for fashionistas in the “swinging sixties,” the Tuxedo pant suit (1967) that put menswear on the backs of women and the Safari jacket (1968) that thumbed his nose on Haute Couture, and made off-the-rack fashion front page news!

The 1970’s would further cement St. Laurent’s place in fashion history with exotic looks inspired by foreign lands: Les Ballets Russes (fur trimmed coats with patterns from Russia), Persian printed peasant dresses, and Bambara—a collection of whimsical, African inspired raffia and beaded dresses. But all good things eventually come to an end. In 2002, an ailing Mr. Saint Laurent retired, closed his Couture house, sold off the ready to wear business and sadly, passed away six years later in 2008.

For anyone visiting Paris, the Musee Yves Saint Laurent is a rare opportunity to not only see the interiors of what was once one of the most prestigious couture houses in France, it is also a place to explore and immerse yourself in the timeless elegance of a brilliant talent.

Musee Yves Saint Laurent
5, avenue Marceau. 75116
Parismuseeyslparis.com
Open Tues-Sun 11am-6pm (Fridays  until  9pm)
Entrance : 10 Euros

Photos and text: Fashion Doll Stylist. 2017. Please do not reproduce without prior permission or crediting my site.

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The Majesty of Christian Dior, 70 Years of Style

From now through January 7, 2018 the Musee des Arts Decoratifs in Paris, is paying tribute to the seventieth anniversary of the most famous name in fashion, Christian Dior with a grandiose exhibition entitled,  “Christian Dior, Designer of Dreams.” Well conceived, meticulously organized and incredibly executed, this exhibition is a 3,000 square meter artistic voyage of pure visual delight and discovery. Though Mr. Dior was only present for the first 10 years of his namesake fashion house, his work as couturier and businessmen as well as contributions made by the designers who succeeded him paint a picture of the enduring legacy and evolution of France’s number one temple of style. Some 300 haute couture garments  surrounded by handbags, shoes, bags, perfume bottles, photographs, paintings, illustrations (by Rene Gruau and Mats Gufstasen), along with documents, letters, sketches, print ads, fashion show video clips spread over 3000 square feet is more than enough to plunge the visitor into a luxurious fantasyland that is quintessentially…..Dior.

The exhibition begins with an introduction to the man behind the name. We learned Christian Dior came from an aristocratic family and was inspired by the wardrobe of his fashionably dressed mother. His professional career saw him first, working in an art gallery before turning to the world of style.

Over the years, there were key elements evident in each collection. Inspiration was drawn from the austere chic of Paris, the Gardens of his native town Grandville, Dior’s fascination for the 18th century French aristocracy, a love of nature, the world of fine art, exotic lands and…the elegance and lavishness of Versailles.

Paintings, period furniture and objet d’art are used as a setting to convey the couturier’s aesthetics, culture and inspiration. As to be expected, there are plenty of full size garments—from the New Look suit to the embroidered Junon gown with its sequined petals-- each one more beautiful than the other. But to my surprise and delight, the exhibition also includes an extensive part of “Le Peit Theatre de Dior”—one-third scale versions of many of Dior’s dresses and suits.

Inasmuch as we were allowed to take as many photos as desired, me and the girls are treating all of you to a personal tour as seen through 100 pictures. There is so much to show you, I have divided our tour into two (very long) sections. In this the first part, the focus is placed on the full scale work of Dior and the designers who followed him. This will be followed by more photos showing the 1/3 scale dresses as well as the last, most elaborate theme, “Versailles,” a befitting finale.

What I saw was beyond words, so I promise to keep my text to a minimum and simply let the photos speak for themselves. Enjoy!

The New Look that launched Christian Dior in 1947

It all starts here…The New Look. New Look Spring-Summer collection in 1947, Christian Dior took the feminine shape in a totally new direction, relegating the masculine silhouette of the war years to the past. His dresses expressed a modern femininity, incarnated by his flower-woman and producing a shape characterized by flowing curves.

Raf Simon's modern take on the New Look Silhouette

Side by side, one garment for every year Christian Dior has been in business. In a glimpse we can see how silhouettes have evolved from the end of WWII thru today’s styles.

The “Dior Garden,” a lavish theme of floral dresses, gowns with intricate embroidery or even hand cut petals are surrounded by laser cut flowers that drop from the ceilings and spring from the floor. For the theme, Versailles, the nave of the museum was bathed in lights, providing the illusion of attending a most magnificent ball within interiors of the Chateau.

Including Dior, the legacy of the house has been in the hands of seven couturiers: Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferre, John Galliano, Raf Simons and Maria Grazia Tchuri (the current designer). This section takes a peak at each one’s contributions.

We begin with the creations of Mr. Dior

After his death, a young Yves St. Laurent succeeded Dior.

Marc Bohan was the next designer in line as designer for Dior

The work of Gianfranco Ferre, the Italian designer at the helm of Dior

Enter, Englishman, John Galliano

Raf Simons followed Galliano and was eventually replaced by the current designer, Maria Grazia Chiuri

But before a dress becomes a dress, it is a toile.

“The Atelier” provides an unusual glimpse of the work that goes on in the couture house’s atelier. These white cotton dresses are draped embryos, which after much adjustment, consultation and decisions on color, fabric and embellishments, ultimately blooms into the finished garment we see fluttering down the catwalk.

End of Part I. Stay tuned...there's more! Up next: Dior in miniature. And, the girls to to a ball at Versailles! Dior's ball at Chateau Vesailles!!

All photos and text property of Fashion Doll Stylist 2017. Please do not reproduce without prior permission. Thank you.

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