A Sad Day - A Fashion Legend Dies.....

[Jane110]

Today, legendary fashion designer Yves St. Laurent died at the age of 71.

 

What Picasso was to modern art, YSL was to modern fashion for woman. Like Coco Chanel who gave women freedom from binding dresses, YSL empowered women to express themselves.

 

At the age of 21, took over the Christian Dior couture house when Dior died in 1957. St. Laurent had been out of school for only one year.

 

St Laurent is credited for creating:

 

The pant suit

The smoking jacket

Tuxedo's for women

The trapeze dress (in 1958!)

Navy blazer w/ white trouser look for women

The Navy pea coat as a fashion statement.

The most glamorous gowns.

 

In the 60's he left Dior to go out on his own and with his lover and still business partner Pierre Berge, they opened a boutique on Paris' Left Bank making Rive Gauche (the Left Bank) not only respectible for fashionable women, but making it the "in" spot!

 

In 2002 when he retired, a 300 piece fashion show of 40 years of his legendary work was produced to honor him. People couldn't tell the difference between the old and the new, but all looked up to date and....timelessly au courant.

 

Many industry people feel that the death of St. Laurent marks the end of an incredible era that included Dior and Chanel and there is no one of that stature to fill that role. I agree.

 

The fashion world has lost it's biggest star.

[banditcat]

Thank you for reminding me of all he gave to the fashion world. I never could afford any of his clothes only the knock off but oh how well they made one feel.

 

Hannah

[Jane110]

Most people couldn't afford an original. It's YSL's contribution to the fashion industry and his inspiration to other fashion designers and to women in general that will be missed. There's no one at the helm who can take his place at his level of inspiring fashion throughout the world. He was truly amazing.

[GORDONCHICK]

Jane - I thought of you last night when I saw the story on the news. I knew you'd do a great recap of his career for us. Thanks. (sipping my chai latte....)

[simplelife]

Thanks for a very fitting tribute.

[Jane110]

My pleasure.

 

I could have gone on for pages, there's so much to say about him.

 

They'll never be another like him. :(