Yves Saint Laurent

Founded in 1961, Yves Saint Laurent is one of the great fashion names of the late 20th century. Throughout the years, the ground-breaking designs of the house have redefined femininity,revolutionized fashion and forced us to reexamine the way modern women dress.

In 1966, Yves Saint Laurent was the first couture house to launch the modern concept of luxury women’s prêt-à-porter, in a collection called ‘Rive Gauche’. Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche boutiques were soon opened throughout the world, allowing fashion-conscious working individuals to wear Yves Saint Laurent designs. This represented the first step in making luxury labels accessible to a wider audience.  An architect of innovation, Yves Saint Laurent was ahead of his time in many ways: he was the first designer to use black models, he dressed women in a tuxedo, which is now famously known as ‘le smoking’ and he popularized iconic styles like the trapeze dress and safari jackets. Those were the first of many contributions that set Yves Saint Laurent apart and cemented the maison’s role at the top of the fashion lexicon.

Today under the direction of Stefano Pilati, Creative Director since 2004, the brand has renewed the exceptional legacy of its founder while bringing a contemporary approach to its collections. Combining elegance, top-quality fabrics, refined and discreet but recognizable details, Stefano Pilati has re-engineered a modernity that continues to define a vision of Saint Laurent through a 21st century lens.  Pilati has also extended the maison’s reach beyond fashion through innovative partnerships, specifically his commitment to the performing arts.