When Yves Saint Laurent debuted his first haute couture collection under his own name on January 29, 1962, a new era in fashion quietly—yet powerfully—began. Having already made headlines as Christian Dior’s brilliant young protégé, Saint Laurent had taken over the house of Dior at just 21, following the founder’s sudden death. But it was […]
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When Yves Saint Laurent debuted his first haute couture collection under his own name on January 29, 1962, a new era in fashion quietly—yet powerfully—began. Having already made headlines as Christian Dior’s brilliant young protégé, Saint Laurent had taken over the house of Dior at just 21, following the founder’s sudden death. But it was under his own banner that he would truly rewrite the rules of fashion.
Saint Laurent’s couture was never just about clothes. It was about identity, power, and the kind of beauty that refuses to be confined. He pioneered a radically androgynous vision, championing tuxedos for women and silhouettes that blurred the gender binary long before it was fashionable to do so. With each collection, he collapsed the boundary between art and fashion, sending wearable art down the runway like moving paintings.
For Spring/Summer 1971, he did what no one else dared: his “Liberation” collection—an homage to the 1940s wartime occupation—sent shockwaves through Paris. While the retro aesthetic soon became a popular motif for the future of fashion, the show was ruthlessly scrutinized by many. However, the silhouettes endured, ultimately becoming a house signature in the glamorous power dressing of the 1980s.
For Fall/Winter 1976, Saint Laurent drew inspiration from the opulence of the Ballets Russes, unveiling an explosion of jewel tones and embroidered lamé. It was more than a collection—it was a spectacle. Staged with an unprecedented sense of drama, the show marked a turning point in runway presentations, ushering in the modern concept of fashion as performance.
Then came 1977: the unveiling of Opium, the now-iconic fragrance, accompanied by a couture collection inspired by China. Equal parts sensual and controversial, the line embodied the house’s flair for color and theatrical storytelling, though not without sparking conversations about cultural appropriation. It was also one of the first collections directly linked to a scent, turning a perfume launch into a whole aesthetic world.
Saint Laurent’s final bow came in 2002, as he bid adieu to the house that bore his name. His last haute couture show, staged at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, felt like a love letter to everything he’d built: bold, intellectual, unapologetically glamorous. That same year, the couture atelier shuttered its doors, leaving ready-to-wear—and Tom Ford’s already-launched direction—as the brand’s future. But the legacy of Saint Laurent’s couture remains immortal: revolutionary, refined, and endlessly referenced.
Keep scrolling to revisit some of the most iconic looks ever to grace the Yves Saint Laurent haute couture runway.
Sping/Summer 1967 Haute Couture Fashion Show
Fall 1976 Haute Couture Fashion Show
Fall 1977 Haute Couture Collection Pre-Showing
Spring 1980 Haute Couture Runway
1986 Spring/Summer Haute Couture Runway
Fall/Winter 1992 Haute Couture Runway
Fall 1993 Haute Couture
Fall/Winter 1998 Haute Couture
Spring 2002 Haute Couture Runway
