Gold, the Golds of Yves Saint Laurent: the Enchanting Exhibition
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Radiant, inspiring, provocative… So many adjectives can describe the golds of Yves Saint Laurent. Running until May 14, 2023, the new exhibition at the museum dedicated to the designer takes us on an uplifting stroll, surrounded by pieces filled with creativity, made from lamé fabrics and other golden details. A suspended moment that continuously highlights the elegance and richness of Yves Saint Laurent’s work, which has left a mark on minds and fashion shows. On this occasion, we have prepared for you a selection of golden pieces that may catch your eye once the exhibition has been visited.
From 5 Avenue Marceau, from workshop to museum, how did this address elevate Yves Saint Laurent?
From a collection of paper dolls to pieces that have marked the minds of people around the world, Yves Saint Laurent’s career is admirable and has never ceased to amaze.
Winning two consecutive years of awards at the annual international wool secretariat competition, the designer caught attention and found himself under the wing of Christian Dior in 1955. Following the latter’s death two years later, Yves Saint Laurent took the helm of the house as Artistic Director at just 21 years old.
A visionary designer who, as a young man, imagined his name in golden letters on the Champs-Élysées, he launched his own house in 1961, setting up shop at 30 bis Rue Spontini. The second chapter, unfolding in the private hotel that now hosts the museum, began in 1974, and the story continued to be written there until 2002, the year it ceased operations.
Between creation and nostalgia
Behind the glass doors of 5 Avenue Marceau, in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, we discover a place full of grace, where moldings and gildings respond to the call. Beyond being a simple museum, the space reveals itself as a part of life, emanating the atmosphere of the history that unfolded there. Years of creation, ambition, and revelation. Artistic exchanges, moments of reflection, and magnificent fashion shows.
The place lives up to the love that the Bergé – Saint Laurent couple had for beautiful spaces and volumes, refined architectures, and other vintage objects. The two men, who wrote their story alongside that of the house, are known to be great collectors, travelers, and dreamers. These adjectives resonate in the inspirations of the designer’s collections, paying homage to art, from Picasso to Jean Cocteau, as well as to other horizons, spanning China and Africa.
Among pieces, accessories, and moments captured by photographers, Yves Saint Laurent’s creations come back to life before our eyes, enchanting us with their details and finesse, all enveloped in a veil of nostalgia. Especially in the creator’s studio, where time seems to have stopped. With breath almost held, we feel as if we slip in during a lunch break, where everyone has escaped.
Before us, everything remains as it was yesterday. The desks, the books lined up, the fabrics and other rolls by the meter, sketches intertwining with material samples and other embroideries ready to match the finishes. All adorned with golden details, from buttons to brooches and bracelets, up to the evening bolero on display. All echo the path we just walked through the museum, surrounded by pieces that make the golds of Yves Saint Laurent a priceless treasure marking an era of haute couture.
How did the golds of Yves Saint Laurent mark the history of fashion?
Launched at the end of 2022, the exhibition brings shine to the sixtieth anniversary of the designer’s first eponymous collection. Five years after the museum’s opening, the space is dressed in a festive spirit, where we discover the evolution of Yves Saint Laurent’s golds, between the emancipation of women in the 60s and the extravagance of sultry nights at the Palace.
Amidst curiosity showcases, podiums adorned with golden outfits, and walls adorned with the most beautiful jewels, the golds of Yves Saint Laurent are present in all forms, worn both day and night. In total, more than forty models and 300 jewels are revealed.
How did the golds of Yves Saint Laurent empower women?
Long associated with the powerful, divine figures, and affluent society, gold carries a strong symbolism. Moreover, primarily used for men in power, the appropriation of gold by women’s wardrobes marks a claim to power by women. Like Louis XIV presenting himself in all his splendor, women draped in the golds of Yves Saint Laurent are reborn and make their revolution in everyday life.
A boundary between the masculine and the feminine serves as a creative ground for the designer, who uses looser, more masculine cuts to dress the women of the 60s. In a full period of emancipation, we discover how Yves Saint Laurent redefined the female silhouette by breaking the codes to bring a more modern vision. Additionally, the gold that adorns women breaks away from its usual bourgeoisie and draws inspiration from Swinging London, with a more streetwise spirit. A blend of styles that adds character to the outfits, made to both captivate and fit within exuberance.
The golds of Yves Saint Laurent sublimate women, enveloping their bodies in their solar radiance. Through material combinations, plays of transparency and trompe l’œil effects, golden touches are increasingly incorporated into designs, ranging from the detail of a button to a total golden look.
How did Yves Saint Laurent rethink the place of jewelry?
We discover the creator’s vision of this metal. He, who did not like jewelry during the day, found in this resource a means to adorn women. His golden buttons thus fill the gap of jewelry and illuminate dark pieces during the day, such as a black caban. Once the sun sets, evening dresses are accompanied by jewels and cannot be conceived without them. Each dress is designed in relation to a piece of jewelry, to the point of becoming one with it, like the jewel dress.
An iconic piece of the exhibition, this model serves as the apotheosis of the work surrounding the golds of Yves Saint Laurent. We discover how gold gradually became part of the materials and fabrics, with a long mermaid-effect dress, entirely crafted from golden metal. The piece emphasizes the inseparability of jewelry from the dress, through the trompe l’œil creation of a belt and a necklace adorned with crystals, directly sewn into the garment.
A great lover of adornments, we can admire enchanting showcases filled with belts, gilded breast molds, hair jewelry, brooches, bracelets, earrings, and necklaces. On one hand, gold mingles with the colors of the crystals, between pale green and azure blue. On the other hand, gold stands alone, timeless, distinguishing itself in its forms, inspired by seashells, or inscribing words like “sun” to shine even brighter.
Why are the golds of Yves Saint Laurent inspired by his encounters?
The golds of Yves Saint Laurent honor collaborations and the French savoir-faire of artisans transforming imagination into reality, allowing ideas to take root in Haute Couture. They also draw strength from the designer’s friendships, particularly with Loulou de la Falaise, for her accessories.
Other encounters, such as that with Betty Catroux, in the trendy nights of the capital, have given a new impetus to his pieces, inspired by these places filled with seduction, freedom, glamour, and exuberance. The pieces are thus enveloped in sensuality, with plays of transparency, necklines, and other backless designs. Outfits meant to magnify on stage, including those worn by Sylvie Vartan and Zizi Jeanmaire.
The golds of Yves Saint Laurent also highlight his encounter with art, particularly with the design of poem jackets, where verses by Jean Cocteau are embroidered in gold thread and glitter. The designer also adds nods to other peers, such as embroidering the name of Elsa Schiaparelli on a piece.
In essence, the golds of Yves Saint Laurent, in all their expressions, come to emphasize the solar power of women, enhancing their beauty day and night.
How to wear the golds of Yves Saint Laurent?
If the exhibition on the golds of Yves Saint Laurent has enchanted you, here are some golden pieces for you to shine while expressing your femininity.
Clothing
Shoes
Bags
Earrings
Rings
Necklaces
Bracelets
Brooches
Chain Belts
Sunglasses
Accessories
It’s up to you to enhance your femininity with the golden touches of Yves Saint Laurent!
