Yves Saint Laurent - In cinema - visual arts, music, design, technology and all other aspects of creation

Yves Saint Laurent - In cinema

Have you ever heard of High Potential people ?

HP people think differently. They have a huge IQ, but they are generally unaware of it. They are all unique but they have things in common. They are hypersensitive, just can’t stop thinking, got sleeping problems, don’t fit in at school (even though they get through to a high level), are highly creative, perfection is their norm, got acute senses, are highly addictive, psychologically drained out, somatise and dream a lot, are often troubled by existential questioning…

Now, not all HP people get as well known as Yves Saint Laurent. He was indeed an iconic creator with a major influence on how people dressed since the 60s. He introduced the tuxedo suit for women, trapeze dresses, jumpsuits, etc… He certainly played a role to the emancipation of women… And some of his collections were highly controversial.

Aged 16, he already imagined having his own fashion house. He used to cut out models’ silhouettes in his Mum’s fashion magazine. He then drew his own dresses and accessories. The foundation PB-YSL kept 11 different models, more than 400 outfits and 100 accessories in a perfect condition. I’ve seen some of them, they look amazing !

Now, great situations sometimes got a darker side. With people like Y.S.L., nothing was quite simple. Aged 19, he got a position at Dior, but…

Source Wikipedia : He was a genius, yes, but subject to drugs problems and mental illness (he had to endure electroshock therapy). After his release from the hospital in November 1960, Saint Laurent sued Dior for breach of contract and won.

After a period of convalescence, he and his partner, industrialist Pierre Bergé, started their own fashion house with funds from Atlanta millionaire J. Mack Robinson. The couple split romantically in 1976 but remained business partners.

The rest is history ! He became one of the most influential fashion designers of all times. And today I would like to focus on one aspect of his art : his contribution to film costumes. I saw some of his beautiful dresses lately at the exhibition “Yves Saint Laurent – Visionnaire” in Brussels.

I believe costumes are part of the character. They aren’t just clothes, they are symbols. Think of the cult dress of Marilyn Monroe in “The 7 year itch” ! Well, YSL also designed wonderful costumes for top movies. He created dresses for beautiful and world acclaimed actresses.

Here’s a mini-selection for your eyes only :

Subway with Isabelle Adjiani (1985)