Yves Saint Laurent was born on 1 August 1936 in Oran. His interest in and talent for beauty and fashion were visible from an early age. However, nobody could anticipate his rise to fame in terms of time and speed.
In 1953, at the tender age of 17, Christian Dior hired him as his assistant. Due to Yves Saint Laurent’s outstanding talent, he was promoted to head designer after the founder’s untimely and sudden death in 1957. Remember, at this time, Yves was just 21 years old.
Just a few years later, in 1961, Yves Saint Laurent launched his own fashion house which carries his name to this day. Everybody knows YSL.
Le Smoking
Yves Saint Laurent thought that women should have the possibility to dress as effortlessly as men and still look and feel feminine.
In 1966, he launched Le Smoking, a tuxedo for women.
We admire this combination of boldness and chic, as we believe that this is a wardrobe item as elegant and versatile as a luxurious black pump.
In the very same year, the house of YSL pioneered ready-to-wear with their Rive Gauche boutique. This made haute couture more accessible and further cemented the designer’s iconic status.
Opium
Opium was YSL’s first scent and a great commercial success. Launched in 1977, the oriental perfume for women obviously reflected the spirit of the time.
This iconic scent contains the following ingredients: *
Top Notes:
- Cloves, Pepper
- Mandarin Orange
- Coriander, Plum
- Citruses, West Indian Bay
- Jasmine, Bergamot
Middle Notes:
- Carnation, Cinnamon
- Patchouli, Sandalwood
- Rose, Orris Root
- Peach, Lily-of-the-Valley
Base Notes:
- Myrrh, Incense
- Amber, Tolu Balsam
- Vanilla, Opoponax
- Castoreum, Benzoin
- Sandalwood, Labdanum
There Is More
While the list of Yves Saint Laurent’s innovations is almost endless, we decided to focus on two of them.
After an unparalleled fashion career spanning 40 years, the Maestro retired from fashion in 2002.
* Source Ingredients: Fragrantica.com
