Hello Beautiful People,

Picture perfect weather this weekend. All I wanted to do was to be outside in the garden and play with the family all day.
I wanted to share with you a new exhibition at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) called, Yves Saint Laurent: The Perfection of Style, in the Altria Group Gallery, and New Market Gallery.
The exhibition is only open from May 6, 2017 to August 27, 2017.
Do not wait to see it if you are in the Richmond, Virginia area. You don’t want to miss this rare opportunity to learn about one of the most iconic designers of the mid-to-late twentieth century.

Yves Saint Laurent with Victoire – Preparation of the first collection – december 1961
© Pierre Boulat courtesy Association Pierre & Alexandra Boulat

 Born in Algeria in 1936, Yves Mathieu Saint Laurent came to Paris as a teenager and began his career designing fashion pieces. Saint Laurent at age 18 won the International Wool Secretariat fashion design competition in 1954. He was a genius and as a very young man, he became the lead designer for Christian Dior in the late 1950s. He was very shy, but was very aware of his talent. Saint Laurent is credited as the innovator of the pantsuit for women, the transformation of the trapeze dress; among countless other designs.

The exhibition “includes accessories, photographs, drawings, films, and video from the Fondation’s vast archive. (It) traces the trajectory of Saint Laurent’s style as it developed over the course of his career. Beginning in 1953 with the “Paper Doll Couture House” that he created as a teenager, which is being shown for the first time in the United States in this exhibition. Ensembles early in the exhibition focus on his formative years at the House of Dior, including an example of a short evening dress from his successful “Trapeze” collection, which marked his debut as a fashion designer when it was shown in Paris in 1958.”

Take a look at the Paper doll images in the gallery below.

Various examples of paper dolls, assembled by Yves Saint Laurent, circa 1950. Dolls cut from magazines and glued onto cardboard; garments made of paper cutouts, ink, watercolor, and gouache. Foundation Pierre Bergé -Yves Saint Laurent, Paris.

1971/PE 0247 Yves St. Laurent Collection Board

“Drawn from the archives of the Fondation Pierre Bergé—Yves Saint Laurent and other private collections, this breathtaking exhibition offers an intimate and comprehensive look at the lifetime achievement of Yves Saint Laurent, one of history’s most radical and influential fashion designers. Featuring 100 examples of haute couture and ready-to-wear garments-some never shown publicly before—this exhibition reveals Saint Laurent’s artistic genius, as well as his working process, and the sources of his design inspiration.

The VMFA is the only East Coast venue for the exhibition, which has been organized by the Seattle Art Museum in partnership with the © Fondation Pierre Bergé – Yves Saint Laurent in Paris.”

In the Exhibit Photo: David Stover © Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
May 2, 2017
Gallery views of Yves Saint Laurent: The Perfection of Style
May 6, 2017 – August 27, 2017
Altria Group Gallery, NewMarket Gallery

The exhibit is an open window into the world of Yves Saint Laurent, showing design sketches and fabric swatches with the finished product.

My favorites from the exhibition:
Mondrain designs are timeless classics. The dress below can be worn in any decade.

Hommage to Piet Mondrian, Yves Saint Laurent (French, 1936-2008), Cocktail dress. Wool jersey with ivory, black, blue, red, and yellow incrustations. © Fondation Pierre Bergé -Yves Saint Laurent, Paris. Photo Alexandre Guirkinger.

View of the Mondrian cocktail dress in the exhibit.

There is nothing more flattering then ruffled detail in the back of this Yves Saint Laurent gown.  The sky blue brightens everyones complexion.

Yves Saint Laurent (French, 1936-2008). Spring-Summer 1981 haute couture collection. Blue silk taffeta gown with train and white silk taffeta flounces; trimmed with black braiding. © Fondation Pierre Bergé – Yves Saint Laurent, Paris. Photo: Sophie Carre.

The iconic trapeze dress from the Trapeze collection when Saint Laurent was designing for the house of Christian Dior.
The Trapeze design has been an inspiration to many designers through the years because it flatters a woman’s body, and gives a relaxed fit. Saint Laurent took Dior’s design and radically updated it with a fresh look.

Elephant Blanc, Yves Saint Laurent, short evening dress. Spring-Summer 1958 Yves Saint Laurent for Christian Dior haute couture collection, known as the Trapeze Collection. Trapeze dress of white tulle embroidered with silver metallic thread and rhinestones. © Foundation Pierre Bergé – Yves Saint Laurent, Paris. Photo: Alexandre Guirkinger.

Another favorite is the dress below, which shows women speaking out how they feel and being liberated and making sure that that the ring stays on that finger forever.

Yves Saint Laurent (French, 1936-2008). Fall-Winter 1970 haute couture collection. Multicolored silk velvet coat with appliqué letters forming the words, “Love me forever” on front and “or never on back; various shapes in multicolored silk. Fondation Pierre Berge -Yves Saint Laurent, Paris.

The First Pantsuit

The First Pantsuit, Yves Saint Laurent (French 1936- 2008), worn by Ulla. Fall-Winter 1966 haute couture collection. Foundation Pierre Berge -Yves Saint Laurent, Paris, Photo: Gerard Pataa.

I had to show the menswear inspired suit I mention earlier, which can be worn everyday for work or play. The bow in Ulla’s (the model) hair, and the bow in the white collared shirt gives a feminine touch.

Yves Saint Laurent: The Perfection of Style exhibition allows the visitor to get into the world of one of fashion’s most iconic designers for the first time.
Remember the exhibit closes August 27, 2017, enjoy and be inspired.

Here is a quick look at some of the garments from the exhibition.

* I would like to say “Thank You” to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts for providing me with the images and background information on the Yves Saint Laurent: The Perfection of Style exhibition.