YVES SAINT LAURENT

Yves Saint Laurent was one of the 20th century’s most influential European fashion designers. Born in Algeria, he moved to Paris to work for designer Christian Dior and, in 1962, launched his own fashion label. For Fall 1966, Laurent introduced “Le smoking”, his legendary smoking suit which adapted classic menswear codes to the feminine body. Other pieces have gone on to become iconic designs in fashion history, such as the reefer jacket in 1962, the sheer blouse in 1966, and the jumpsuit in 1968. With the arrival of the Rive Gauche line in 1966, the brand was one of the first to introduce ready-to-wear.