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Some Like It Haute: 16 Iconic Yves Saint Laurent Fashions

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Saint Laurent by Bertrand Bonello premiered at Cannes and stars Gaspard Ulliel as the legendary designer with Jérémie Renier, Louis Garrel, and Lea Seydoux. The film takes a look at how Saint Laurent managed to revolutionize women’s fashion in the 20th century, with innovations such as le smoking and his dabbling in art and international cultures.

To celebrate the critically-acclaimed Saint Laurent opening in New York and Los Angeles on May 8, let’s take a stroll down fashion’s memory runway at some of the designer’s greatest creations over his prestigious 40-plus year career.

Here are 16 of Yves Saint Laurent’s most iconic designs ever.

1. After taking over the revered Christian Dior at only 21 in 1957, the young Yves Saint Laurent quickly set minds at ease

ysl for dior

 

2. But his association with Dior was short-lived and in 1962, he and partner Pierre Bergé launched their first solo collection

peacoat

3. The iconic Mondrian shift followed in 1965

Saint-Laurent’s-Autumn-Winter-1965-collection-inspired-by-Mondrian

4. The same collection featured the knitted wedding dress

knitted wedding dress

5. The following year, his Pop Art Collection further shook up the fashion industryysl mod

6. And really set the precedent for “giving face”

ysl silhouettes

 

7. The gender-bending Le smoking also made its debut with the Pop Art Collection and ushered in a new way of dressing for women

smoking

8. 1967 saw the designer’s obsession with African culture come to a beautiful head (and a beaded body)

67 tribal

9. 1968’s transparent looks had the establishment gagging but the kids’ tongues wagging

1968

10. YSL’s ’40s collection presaged throwback fashion in 1971

40s

 

11. That same year, Saint Laurent’s birthday suit was on display for this iconic shot, an advertisement for his first men’s fragrance — Homme

yves

12. 1976’s Ballets Russes ventured behind the iron curtain for draping inspiration

ballets russe

13. This 1978 collection wasn’t called “Pure Elegance” for nothin’

ysl bow

14. E-L-E-G-A-N-C-E — you own everything.

1978

15. By the ’80s, Iman was Yves Saint Laurent’s predominant muse because, well, she’s Iman

iman

16. This haute couture gown from 1986 gave a nod to his Dior past, thus coming full circle

1986

 

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