FASHION’S LATEST EXPOSÉ OF ONE OF THE GREAT 20TH CENTURY DESIGNERS IS A TALE OF LOvE, ENDURANCE AND UNPARALLELED STYLE

Breathing “Yves Saint Laurent” like some fur-clad Parisian bohemian is undeniably a fun thing to do (try it, you will feel merveilleux), so make sure to save the date this 21 March as a brand new biopic about the

man behind the wonderfully evocative name, widely regarded to be one of the most celebrated and influential designers to have ever lived, hits Irish screens.

Yves Saint Laurent, directed by Jalil Lespert, is a faithful retelling of a life that essentially begins with Laurent’s overnight appointment as artistic director of Christian Dior in 1957, which in turn launches him into the international couture spotlight, at only 21 years of age. At his first catwalk show the young Yves (played to perfection by La Comédie-Française’s Pierre Niney) meets Pierre Bergé (Guillaume Gallienne), a suave industrialist who would then go on to become Laurent’s business partner and lover, unifying the pair in an intense private and public relationship that lasted for the next 18 years.

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All about

Yves Saint Laurent in his Paris studio, January 1982

YVES

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It was a paInful process; the gIrls could only wear the dresses for two hours In a row

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Director Jalil Lespert was given exclusive access to the designer’s back catalogue, experiencing some difficulties when using them for takes: “We had the support of Pierre Bergé and the [Pierre Bergé-Yves Saint Laurent] Foundation, and so we were lucky enough to be able to use original costumes. Because, for the Foundation, making reproductions of those costumes was simply not an option, especially as several fabrics used by Saint Laurent at the time do not exist any longer…Now once we found the right models and began lighting those dresses, it was just fantastic. It was a very painstaking process as the girls could only wear the dresses for two hours in a row, and then had to take

them off because of friction or perspiration-related problems. Allow me to praise our costume designer Madeline Fontaine who did an amazing job on this film.”

Not only is the film breathtaking in terms of the beautiful production, but Lespert was also keen to present Yves Saint Laurent as an epic and powerful love story, focusing on the unconditional support Laurent received from Bergé right up to the designer’s death in 2008. Despite being one of the most intelligent avant-gardists of his age, the film also covers Laurent’s periods of manic depression and his personal struggles with fame.

Lespert adds: “What drew me in was how the two protagonists made it possible to live a lifelong relationship, despite Yves’ illness and work pressure. They were able to keep their dream going and to push the limits – the further they went, the more their love story was put to the test, and the better it survived every obstacle. This is why it is such an unprecedented, exhilarating love story.”

Exquisitely filmed with attention paid to every stitch and sketch, Yves Saint Laurent is a must for any discerning fan of all things couture. n

Having arguably saved Dior from financial ruin in 1958 with a spring collection that included the renowned “trapeze dress”, the incredibly talented Laurent would, just a few years later, endure the humiliation of being fired from the company – in response to poorly received collections that were publicly savaged by the press.

Refusing to be cowed by popular opinion and self-doubt, Laurent – along with Bergé – founded his eponymous fashion house and, from there, began to revolutionise the fashion world as we know it. Relentless in his quest for artistic expression, the charismatic yet deeply vulnerable Laurent became the first French couturier to release a full prêt-à-porter (ready-to-wear) line, in a bid to democratise fashion and, in 1966 created Le Smoking; the ladies’ tuxedo that was considered groundbreaking in an age where women were still expected to dress – and act – like ladies.

The notion of women wearing men’s clothes without appearing to deny their own femininity was a liberation to which Laurent was proud to lay claim, and the film showcases some of his finest work, using original garments from the Yves Saint Laurent couture collection archive.

Pierre Niney as Yves Saint Laurent

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