"Saint Laurent rive gauche La Révolution de la Mode"

"Saint Laurent rive gauche La Révolution de la Mode" opened in Paris this week in the galleries of the Fondacion Pierre Bergé-Yves Saint Laurent.  

Saint Laurent Rive Gauche: La Rèvolution de la Mode

March 5–July 17, 2011

Saint Laurent wanted his  new ready-to-wear line to be sold where young people were, somewhere on the Left Bank.  The name would be Yves Saint Laurent rive gauche.  The boutique was to stay open until midnight as the stores in California did at the time.  The original interior was designed by Isabelle Hebey and opened in 1966 on rue de Tournon.  The boutique had a life size portrait of Yves Saint Laurent painted by Eduardo Arroyo, one of the founders of the figuration narrative movement who had fled Fascist Spain in 1958.  There were lamps by Isamu Noguchi and sculptures by Niki de Saint Phalle in the boutique's courtyard.

In 1971 Saint Laurent decided to stop producing haute couture which he felt was only for very rich women to focus on the ready-to-wear which was "for the young or the young at heart".  Brigitte Bardot said to dress in couture was "Ca fait mémé" (That's for grannies).  But this was, thankfully short lived - can you imagine?!  and he did in fact go on to produce an haute couture collection in January 1972.


Saint Laurent loved a good transparent dress and so do we at RARE vintage.  Here is a fluttering, gossamer light black and white transparent dress with sash wrapped waist from Yves Saint Laurent rive gauche.  

Transparent dresses were a big trend this season at Vuitton, Givenchy and Stella McCartney.  Will you wear it with just a pair of big knickers underneath and very little else.  Kate Moss would...

1970s Yves Saint Laurent rive gauche gossamer light dress.  Size 6.

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