From the perfect red lipstick, to the iconic LouLou bag, to the heavenly scent Black Opium perfume–Saint Laurent, YSL as some of you may refer to it as, is the brand that has the IT girl items. I mean come on, how cool are YSL heels?

Yves Saint Laurent was born in Algeria in 1936. Growing up, he loved the gowns his mother used to wear and became obsessed with art and fashion. He used to draw and make paper dolls of costumes for ballets. He was heavily influenced by illustrator Christian Bérard who drew for top couture designers.

In 1953, he participated in the Secrétariat International de la Laine’s competition in Paris and ended up winning third for the dress category. He decided to move to Paris and with the help of the Vogue Editor-In-Chief met with Dior and began working for him. 

The House of Saint of Laurent was founded in 1961 in Paris. In January 1962, his first collection for the house was presented. Originally the brand was called Saint Laurent Rive Cauche and the first boutique was opened in 1966 to sell their ready-to-wear collection. Slowly the brand caught traction as its items were featured in films and on adored celebrities. In 1968, the brand released its first men’s ready-to-wear collection. 

The 70s were the decade in which the company truly took off. A bold shouldered look back the Saint Laurent style and their runways became more high-end featuring raised catwalks. They presented a collection that was inspired by Asian culture and dedicated to China helping the brand become an internationally known name. They also launched a perfume called “Opium” to pair alongside the new collection being the first brand to feature a collection around a scent.

The following two decades were host to many milestones for the company and for Yves Saint Laurent himself. He was recognized and given an exhibition at the MET in New York City. He stepped down as head and Gucci purchased the House in 1999. The label was renamed to simply Saint Laurent with the request of creative director Hedi Silmane.

The Creative Director of Saint Laurent is now Anthony Vaccarello who was appointed in 2016. The brand is known for not only their fashion, but also their beauty and fragrance lines as well. Many of you may be more familiar with the name “YSL” rather than “Saint Laurent” as their iconic logo can be seen scattered across their products.

Their recent Spring 2025 ready-to-wear collection was a favorite of mine featuring many leathers, extravagantly tied tops, layered frills, and a play on materials. 

Till next Sunday,

Daisy