The legendary designer’s influence still reverberates throughout fashion today.

By Yumi Bing

To say that Yves Saint Laurent revolutionised fashion as we know it today is no overstatement. Sure, there were plenty of designers before him who changed the way women dressed: Cristóbal Balenciaga, for example, introduced inventive shapes and silhouettes to fashion's vernacular, thanks to his mastery of tailoring and understanding of the female form. Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel, meanwhile, rewrote the rules by relieving women from the shackles of tradition. 

But it was Monsieur Saint Laurent who ushered fashion into a new age. During a time when fashion was a playground only for the rich, he broke through its walls and brought it closer to the people. Saint Laurent is widely credited as the couturier who gave the concept of ready-to-wear its couture touches; the creative genius who harnessed the energy of the streets to craft collections that embodied the times. His clothes were sexy, provocative, romantic and poetic all at once.

In the years since Saint Laurent's death, many designers have interpreted his legacy to varying levels of success. Alber Elbaz, Tom Ford, Stefano Pilati, Hedi Slimane and (most recently) Anthony Vaccarello have all walked in Saint Laurent's shoes, but his shadow continues to loom large. Here are some of the signatures that have made Saint Laurent and his eponymous brand so inimitable:

MARRAKECH CALLING

Picture credit:
(left) Vue de la salle YSL © Fondation Jardin Majorelle Photo Nicolas Mathéus
(right) Yves Saint Laurent, Place Djemaa El Fna. © Reginald Gray

The Algerian-born Saint Laurent first visited Morocco in 1966 and fell in love with the country instantly. In the ensuing decades, Marrakech became a sanctuary that fuelled his creative endeavours. “In Morocco, I realised that the range of colours I use was that of the zelliges, zouacs, djellabas and caftans. The boldness seen since then in my work, I owe to this country, to its forceful harmonies, to its audacious combinations, to the fervour of its creativity. This culture became mine, but I wasn’t satisfied with absorbing it; I took, transformed and adapted it,” he once mused. In 2017, the Musée Yves Saint Laurent opened in Marrakech, a celebration and testament to the inexplicable link man and city both share.

THE YOUTH CONNECTION

The Youthquake movement in the '60s fuelled Saint Laurent's imagination. He recognised that fashion's true power came from the street, and that eventually led him to launch Saint Laurent Rive Gauche in 1966. The ready-to-wear arm of the House immediately struck a chord among women who found resonance with the designer's empowering take on sexuality.

Shop Yves Saint Laurent Y-Mail collection here

Picture credit:
THE FIFTH COLLECTION

SMOKING HOT

Yves Saint Laurent Le Smoking Suit
by Helmut Newton

The “Saharienne”, or safari jackets; Mondrian shift dresses; the controversial Scandal collection of 1971; the  Ballet Russes presentation of 1976... Saint Laurent filled his oeuvre with many hits. But perhaps none spoke of fashion's revolutionary power as much as the Le Smoking, a suit that defied traditional notions of evening-wear. And thanks to that Helmut Newton picture of an elegantly dressed woman standing on an empty Parisian street, this radical interpretation of menswear tailoring has been immortalised as an icon of power dressing for women.

HEART TO HEART

Just like how the lily of the valley held special meaning for Christian Dior (he was said to have sewn the flower into the hems of his couture creations for good luck), Saint Laurent also adopted a motif for his fashion empire: The heart. It first appeared in 1962, taking the form of a brooch that accompanied the couture creations from his debut collection. Since then, it has become a fitting symbol integral to the brand's story—from the designer's passionate affair with fashion, to his intense relationship with Pierre Bergé, love is at the centre of the Saint Laurent universe.

Shop Yves Saint Laurent vintage glass heart brooches here
Shop Yves Saint Laurent vintage multi-coloured heart necklace here

Picture credit:
THE FIFTH COLLECTION