Yves Saint Laurent

Study Notes

Yves Saint Laurent SAS: A Brief History

YSL is a French luxury fashion house founded in 1962 by Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé.
The brand popularized the beatnik look, safari jackets, tight pants, and thigh-high boots in the 1960s and 1970s.
YSL debuted Le Smoking, a tuxedo suit for women, in 1966.
YSL began producing ready-to-wear in 1966 with the launch of Rive Gauche, popularizing the concept.
YSL's designs often featured designs influenced by traditional Chinese clothing, themes from Pop Art, Ballets Russes, and Picasso.
Saint Laurent is credited with initiating the broad, shoulder-padded style that characterized 1980s fashion.
In 1992, the company's profits were in decline and its share price had fallen, leading to the sale of the brand to pharmaceuticals company Sanofi.
In 1999, Kering purchased YSL and hired Tom Ford to design the ready-to-wear collection, while Yves Saint Laurent himself designed the haute couture collection.
In 2002, Saint Laurent closed the couture division of YSL.
In 2012, Hedi Slimane replaced Stefano Pilati as creative director for YSL, and in 2015, Slimane announced he would revive Yves Saint Laurent's couture line.
In 2016, Anthony Vaccarello was appointed creative director, a position he still holds as of August 2022.
In April 2023, YSL launched Saint Laurent Productions, a production company, with the costumes for films made under the company being designed by Anthony Vaccarello.