Yves Saint Laurent: Form and Fashion

Yves Saint Laurent invented a multitude of new silhouettes—minimalist, exuberant, round, ultra-structured—that eclipsed traditional forms in fashion.

A fashion revolutionary, Yves Saint Laurent and his creations were resolutely modern. His ongoing exploration of shape and form incessantly pushed the boundaries of his creativity, leading to his most groundbreaking and iconic designs. His works were influenced by the artistic trends of the time—from simple and geometric abstraction to constructivism and concrete art—whose many movements mirror the multifaceted talent of the designer.

A bold, exacting gesture underpinned his art: his minimalist dresses were often monochromatic compositions seemingly sprung from a single line. A colourist, he imagined pure yet exuberant abstract designs by juxtaposing flat surfaces in vibrant hues. Transposing pictorial material into textile, he thus balanced colour, form, surface, and line. An illusionist, he would juxtapose black and white to suggest movement in the garment through optical illusion. By using flat, simple lines, shape prevailed over colour.

This volume accompanies an exhibition at Musée Yves Saint Laurent Paris from 9 June 2023 to 14 January 2024, which will feature key pieces from the Yves Saint Laurent archives in dialogue with the set design and works by ceramic artist Claudia Wieser.