ThE WaNtEd FaShIoNs....

BIOGRAPHY:

"The King of Fashion"

The Past and the Present
Fashion Designer Yves Saint Laurent was born 1936 in Oran, Algeria. After winning first prize in the International Wool Secretariat contest for his asymetrical cocktail dress in 1954, Saint Laurent went immediately to work for Christian Dior. Saint Laurent became Haute Couture designer when Dior died in 1957. He introduced the trapeze dress in his first collection for Dior in 1958. He was replaced by Mark Bohen in 1960, when he fulfilled his military obligations. Afterwards, he opened his own couture house, financed by Pierre Berge, in 1962.

The Rive Gauche boutiques for women were established in 1966, and men's wear was added in 1974. His CEO is still Pierre Berge, volatile critic of the Chambre Syndicale. His muse has been Catherine Deneuve for many years.

Saint Laurent frequently uses ethnic themes in his garments, as well as bright colors contrasted with black. His day clothes have a slightly masculine flavor, and his luxurious evening wear is tinged with fantasy. He is famous for "Le Smoking" tuxedo jacket, see-through blouses (1968), peasant blouses, bolero jackets, pantsuits, and smocks.

Although a shy person, Saint Laurent believes he is the last true couturier. He maintains the highest standards of classic cut and tailoring, and he receives a standing ovation after every collection is presented.

1996 marks two surprising developments concerning the presentation of his new collections. In Summer of 1996, Saint Laurent was the first courturier to show his Haute Couture show live on the Internet. The other move was the decision to stop making big fashion shows for his Pret-a-Porter collection after 30 years of doing so. He now shows his new models only to a few selected journalists on appoitment basis.

Pierre Berge was sentenced to a 1 million Francs (about $197000) fine for insider-trading in 1996. In 1992, he sold Yves Saint Laurent shares right before alarming economic figueres about the company were published.

Yves Saint Laurent is a member of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture et du Pret-a-Porter.
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Selected Products

* YSL
* Rive Gauche (diffusion)
* YSL Variation (diffusion)
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Selected Honors and Awards
Retrospective Exhibits

* Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (1983), the first living designer so honored
* Hermitage, St. Petersburg, Russia
* Musee des Arts de la Mode, Louvre, Paris
* Victoria and Albert, London (1995)
Awards

* Neiman-Marcus Award (1958)
* Council of Fashion Designers of America (1981)


1990 The Sezon Museum of Art in Tokyo organizes a retrospective entitled "Yves Saint Laurent 1958 - 1990", including theatre sketches and original creations.
February 3, 1992 YSL celebrates its 30th anniversary at Opera Bastille.
1993 YSL brings out "Champagne", a perfume which was later renamed "Ivresse".
1996 In collaboration with Fashion Live, YSL Couture goes online with the Internet's first-ever live cybercast fashion show.
1998 In celebration of forty years of creation, a YSL photo retrospective is organized in New York.
July 12, 1998 YSL puts on a 300-model fashion extravaganza at the final match of the World Cup football tournament in the Stade de France.
June 2, 1999 The Council of Fashion Designers of America presents Yves Saint Laurent with the 'Lifetime Achievement

Address
Headquarters, Atelier, and Showroom
5, avenue Marceau
75016 Paris, France
Tel.: (+1) 44316417 FAX.: (+1) 47236213
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Selected Boutiques

Paris Boutiques
Accessories
32 rue du Faubourg-St.-Honore
75008 Paris, France Discount Outlet
65, rue Montmartre
Paris, France
Men's Wear
12, place Saint-Sulpice
75006 Paris, France Women's Wear
- 12-14, rond-point des Champs Elysees
75008 Paris, France
- 6, place Saint-Sulpice (Rive Gauche)
75006 Paris, France
Tel: (+1) 43.29.43.00
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Milan Boutique
Via Verri, 8
Milan, Italy
Tel.: (+02) 76000573
New York Boutiques
855, 857, and 859 Madison Ave.
New York, N.Y.10021, U.S.A.

RUNWAY SHOWS
Yves saint laurent W