Saint Laurent: What to Know About the Luxury French Brand | Highsnobiety (2024)

ESTABLISHED

1961

HEADQUARTERS

Paris, France

FOUNDER

Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé

INSTAGRAM

WHO DESIGNED THE SAINT LAURENT LOGO?

The current Saint Laurent logo was designed in 1963 by A.M. Cassandre.

WHO IS THE FOUNDER OF SAINT LAURENT?

Saint Laurent was founded by Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé.

WHO IS THE OWNER OF SAINT LAURENT?

Saint Laurent is owned by luxury goods group Kering.

WHERE ARE THE SAINT LAURENT HEADQUARTERS?

The Saint Laurent headquarters are located in Paris, France.

IS YSL AND SAINT LAURENT THE SAME?

YSL and Saint Laurent may feature slightly different logos, butthey are the same brand. The only difference is that products carrying the YSL logo may be older, sharing many of the early values of this brand when it started in 1961

WHY IS SAINT LAURENT SO EXPENSIVE?

The brand's glamorous appeal, high-end materials, and meticulous craftsmanshipare what make YSL products so expensive. Yves Saint Laurent is known for its high quality materials. Their items are made from only the finest fabrics and materials such as silk, genuine leather, and metal.

1961

Yves Saint Laurent is founded by designer Yves Saint Laurent and his partner, Pierre Bergé.

1962

Yves Saint Laurent presents his first collection. His first customer is French actress Catherine Deneuve.

The Reefer jacket is introduced.

1966

Yves Saint Laurent opens the Rive Gauche ready-to-wear boutique in Paris.

Le Smoking suit launches. It is considered revolutionary in women’s fashion.

1968

The YSL jumpsuit launches.

1969

Saint Laurent opens a Madison Avenue store.

1971

Perfume Rive Gauche launches.

Saint Laurent’s 40’s collection sparks controversy over its claimed romanticization of German occupation during WWII.

1977

The Opium fragrance launches.

1978

YSL cosmetic line launches.

1983

A retrospective display of Yves St Laurent’s work is shown at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City – marking the first time a living designer had been exhibited.

1997

Hedi Slimane is announced as creative director and helps relaunch YSL Rive Gauche Homme.

1998

Alber Elbaz designs three ready-to-wear collections.

During the ‘98 World Cup, Yves St Laurent stages a show of 300 models on the pitch of the Grand Stade de France.

1999

Gucci buys the YSL name and asks Tom Ford to become creative director and design the ready-to-wear collection. Saint Laurent would continue to design haute couture.

2000

Stefano Pilati joins to run YSL’s ready-to-wear women’s line. He is later promoted to oversee the men’s line too.

2002

Saint Laurent retires to Marrakech after a battle with drug issues. As a result of his departure, the couture side of the fashion house is closed and the focus lies on ready-to-wear.

2004

Tom Ford departs, leaving the role of creative director to Stefano Pilati.

2008

Yves Saint Laurent dies from brain cancer at his home in Paris.

2012

Hedi Slimane takes over as creative director. He drops the Yves and renames the ready-to-wear line Saint Laurent. The iconic YSL logo remains on accessories, handbags, shoes and cosmetics.

Slimane moves the design studio to Los Angeles, California.

2015

Slimane relaunches the couture line.

2016

Saint Laurent announces Slimane will be leaving the house.

Slimane files a lawsuit against Saint Laurent.

2018

Anthony Vaccarello is appointed new creative director.

2019

Saint Laurent announces the opening of two new museums in Paris and Marrakech, celebrating the legacy of the brand’s founder.

The brand begins to address sustainability, initiating steps towards reducing its environmental impact.

2020

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Saint Laurent opts out of Paris Fashion Week for the 2020 season to set its own pace for collections.

The brand launches the "WOMEN'S RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS" t-shirt, with 100% of the profits benefiting organizations that support gender equality.

2022

Saint Laurent returns to the physical runway with its Winter 22 collection, once again under the lights of the Eiffel Tower, asserting the importance of Parisian identity to the brand.

2023

YSL debuted their collection at Neue Nationalgalerie to great critical acclaim.

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Saint Laurent: What to Know About the Luxury French Brand | Highsnobiety (2024)

FAQs

What is special about Saint Laurent? ›

Originally a House of Haute Couture, Yves Saint Laurent revolutionized the way fashion and society merge and interact in 1966 with the introduction of high-end made clothes produced on a larger scale than the exclusive collections.

What makes YSL different from other brands? ›

The products of this brand are iconic, and something that their customers like is their durability. This brand has remained focused on standing out from other fashion brands, providing a different and more timeless style in the luxury fashion industry. Yves Saint Laurent himself has defined his style as fade.

What are some fun facts about YSL brand? ›

13Yves Saint Laurent was the first designer to launch a luxury prêt-à-porter line. 14Yves Saint Laurent's muses included Catherine Deneuve and Loulou de la Falaise. 15Yves Saint Laurent's designs have been worn by numerous celebrities. 16The YSL logo was created in 1963.

Is Saint Laurent considered luxury? ›

Yves Saint Laurent SAS (/ˌiːv ˌsæ̃ lɔːˈrɒ̃/, also UK: /- lɒˈ-/, US: /- loʊˈ-/, French: [iv sɛ̃ lɔʁɑ̃]), also known as Saint Laurent and YSL, is a French luxury fashion house founded in 1962 by Yves Saint Laurent and his partner, Pierre Bergé.

Why is Saint Laurent so expensive? ›

WHY IS SAINT LAURENT SO EXPENSIVE? The brand's glamorous appeal, high-end materials, and meticulous craftsmanship are what make YSL products so expensive. Yves Saint Laurent is known for its high quality materials. Their items are made from only the finest fabrics and materials such as silk, genuine leather, and metal.

What makes YSL stand out? ›

Fashion and Style

As a high-end fashion brand, Yves Saint Laurent offers some iconic items, attracting fashion aficionados with unique designs and product durability. The brand effortlessly stands out among the competition by maintaining their brand image and vision: Freedom of self expression.

What is YSL most popular product? ›

A global best seller, YSL Black Opium is beloved around the world. The perfect blend of coffee and pink pepper head/top notes, sweeter heart/middle notes of pear, jasmine and orange blossom, and headier base/bottom notes of vanilla, cedar and patchouli.

What does the YSL logo stand for? ›

Few could claim to not be acquainted with the YSL acronym. Whether plastered onto bags or serving as a boot's high heel, these letters are virtually everywhere. Indeed, Saint Laurent Paris, formerly known as Yves Saint Laurent, is definitely a household name.

Why did YSL become famous? ›

In 1962 Saint Laurent opened his own fashion house and quickly emerged as one of the most influential designers in Paris. He popularized trousers for women for both city and country wear.

Is Saint Laurent owned by Louis Vuitton? ›

While LVMH and its competing fashion conglomerate Kering are known for owning some of the biggest names in fashion—such as Louis Vuitton, Fendi, and Celine for the former, and Gucci, Balenciaga, and Saint Laurent for the latter—there are a number of labels you may not realize are tied to other companies.

What is the difference between Saint Laurent and Yves Saint Laurent Paris? ›

YSL, short for Yves Saint Laurent, was the original name of the iconic fashion house founded by designer Yves Saint Laurent. In 2012, the brand's creative director Hedi Slimane rebranded it as Saint Laurent Paris, using a more modern and minimalistic approach.

Is YSL made in China? ›

YSL products are made in Italy and France.

What was Louis St Laurent famous for? ›

Laurent PC CC QC (Saint-Laurent or St-Laurent in French, baptized Louis-Étienne St-Laurent; February 1, 1882 – July 25, 1973) was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 12th prime minister of Canada from 1948 to 1957.

Why did YSL change to Saint Laurent? ›

Whilst the removal of 'Yves' is not with importance on a symbolic level, the name 'Saint Laurent' has in fact been used for years: the name change is just that, and shouldn't be thought of as reflecting any major changes within the company.

What are St Laurent characteristics? ›

St. Laurent
  • Taste: Silky texture with aroma of flowers, stewed berries and spice are followed by flavors of juicy cherry, raspberry, plum and blackberry. ...
  • Body: Medium.
  • Tannin: Low to medium.
  • Acidity: Medium to high.
  • Age: Best to drink while young, although oaked examples can age for several years.

Who is Saint Laurent target audience? ›

The YSL target audience primarily consists of women within the age range of 18 to 45 years old, with a particular focus on those aged 25 to 35 (YSL Brief). This age range encompasses individuals who are fashion-forward and trendsetters in their social groups.

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