My weapon is the perspective in which I see my society,”- Yves Saint Laurent
The Yves Saint Laurent, a visionary exhibition opened on 30 January 2013 and running until May 5th in the ING Cultural Centre, Place Royale in Brussels. This exclusive exhibition is a first: ING Belgium shows, for the first time, how Yves Saint Laurent’s designs and concepts have radically changed the world of fashion, turning it into what it is today. The exhibition focuses on the visionary power of this flamboyant designer. This collection, which has never been seen before, has been put together in conjunction with the Pierre Bergé-Yves Saint Laurent Foundation.
Curator Florence Müller, who had previously put together the Yves Saint Laurent retrospective in the Petit Palais in Paris, lets us become acquainted with the Yves Saint Laurent who set the trend in the 1960s and 1970s for women’s fashion.
” In the 1960s and 70s, Yves Saint Laurent translated societal upheaval into haute couture. The origins of contemporary dress lie in the changes that he introduced in traditional society and in the conventions of feminine and masculine seduction. Saint Laurent favored style, attitude and seduction over the dictatorship of trends. He replaced the traditional commandments of fashion with flexible options, in step with life, movement and women’s new position in society.”
The exhibition at the ING Cultural Center offers an panorama of interweaving dialogues between the visionary Yves Saint Laurent and the spirit of his times, which he observed and translated into new sartorial expressions. Yves Saint Laurent a visionary, invites visitors to share in an unprecedented exploration of the singular Saint Laurent aesthetic.
A selection of one hundred haute couture or ready-to-wear models and new, mostly unpublished documents shed new light on the origins of these stylistic revolutions. A journey organized according to theme and illuminated by a contextualization of Yves Saint Laurent’s work introduces the visitor to the uniqueness of his designs, shapes, materials and color palette as well as to his conception of a “democratized” haute culture.
Rare sketches, production drawings, patterns, client files, quest for ornaments, embroidery samples, magazines, and press articles from the archives of the Fondation Pierre Bergé – Yves Saint Laurent illuminate the alchemy of the Saint Laurent style. A collection of haute couture models represents the dazzling conclusion of the magic formula which transformed the designer’s drawings and vision into a three-dimensional objects.
Certain creations from the innovative luxury ready-to-wear line, SAINT LAURENT rive gauche reveal how the designer who declared, “What interests me is making dresses that are really wearable”, was inspired by the street. A child prodigy, Yves Saint Laurent dreamed of fashion in step with the times, merging realism and idealism and conveying both a wish to delight and the desire to be loved. His childhood fantasy became the guiding principle for fashion today: fashion is an attainable reality for everyone.
Based on some one hundred items – more than 80 of which have never been displayed before – she lets us get a glimpse of this man who understood and affirmed the role of women in society through his amazing creations. He gave them trouser suits, sahara outfits, jumpsuits, flowing sailor shirts, uniform jackets and tuxedos. Saint Laurent was at the forefront of a genuine revolution and gave women an exceptionally strong, purposeful, feminine and above all, modern aura. He dressed liberated women who worked, travelled and claimed their place in the changing world.
What really struck me , when I went with my mother last week, was how Yves Saint Laurent began creating his fashion world for the new woman from a very young age. He used “Paper dolls” and their wardrobe he designed in his teens and it’s one of the key revelations of this exhibition. They also provide an exceptional opportunity for opening up the archives of the Pierre Bergé-Yves Saint Laurent Foundation for the first time revealing his precocious and visionary talent.
I have added at the end of this post gallery a few other images of Yves Saint Laurent’s life , with lifetime partner Pierre Berger, Marrakech Jardin Majorelle , and the master at his studio , to be enjoyed with calm and a smile and joellestagram gallery will give you a fresh look and a close-up experience.Joellestagram – Joelle Magazine
An informative and richly illustrated visitor’s catalogue has been produced for the exhibition. Yves Saint Laurent, a visionary provides an exclusive opportunity to admire the full glory of items that would otherwise never have left the conservation rooms of the Pierre Bergé – Yves Saint Laurent Foundation. A must see with no excuses!
Joelle’s Picks:
Tickets
– Via ing.be/art – Ticket Online (€6 / ING customers and senior citizens: €4 / Students under 26: €3 / Children under 13: Free) ; Audio guide: €2
– On site (€8 / €6 / €5) ; Audio guide: €3
Guided visits are to be booked through ing.be/art > Ticket Online
Groups (15 people) : €4 p.p. + €55 for the guide (€65 on weekends, public holidays or Wednesdays after 6 p.m.).
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