The Creative Mind Behind Ysl Colognes

Yves Saint Laurent, also known as YSL, is a French fashion house founded by Yves Henri Donat Mathieu-Saint Laurent. Laurent's career in fashion began at the age of 17 when he worked as an assistant to Christian Dior. After Dior's death, Laurent took over as head of the House of Dior at 21. In 1962, Laurent started his own fashion company and went on to become one of the most influential fashion designers of the 1960s and 1970s. Laurent's fashion house launched its first fragrance, Y, in 1964, in collaboration with perfumer Jean Amic. The cologne was designed to be an olfactory expression of the elegance and luxury of the couture fashion created by the house.

YSL's first cologne, Y, was launched in 1964

Yves Saint Laurent's first cologne, Y, was launched in 1964. The fragrance was a collaboration with perfumer Jean Amic. YSL wanted to create a "lush, heavy, and languid perfume."

The cologne was an olfactory expression of the elegance and luxury of his couture fashion—a fragrance tailored for the beautiful women he dressed. The green chypre juice was housed in a bottle cut to reflect the silhouette of a woman's head and shoulders. The letter 'Y' was placed to represent the neckline on her dress.

YSL's first cologne was an expression of his love and admiration for women. He was an active campaigner for their social liberation and believed that women could have it all—a wardrobe that was both functional and feminine, sexy and fashionable, imbued with a masculine twist.

YSL's founder, Yves Saint Laurent, began his career in fashion at 17

Yves Saint Laurent, the founder of YSL, began his career in fashion at the age of 17. Laurent was born in Oran, Algeria, in 1936, and grew up in a wealthy family. His father was a lawyer, insurance broker, and owner of a chain of cinemas, while his mother, Lucienne, was a socialite who enjoyed dressing up and socialising with her friends. Laurent showed an early interest in fashion, creating intricate paper dolls and designing dresses for his mother and two younger sisters, Michelle and Brigitte.

At the age of 17, Laurent's talent was recognised when he won first place in a contest by the International Wool Secretariat. This led to him moving to Paris, where he enrolled at the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture. Here, his designs quickly gained notice, and he caught the attention of Michel de Brunhoff, the editor of French Vogue. De Brunhoff introduced Laurent to the renowned designer Christian Dior, who hired him on the spot.

Under Dior's tutelage, Laurent's style continued to mature and gain even more recognition. Dior hired him as an assistant and later named him his successor. In 1957, at the age of 21, Laurent became the head designer of the House of Dior. His first collection for Dior, the Trapeze line, was a huge success, catapulting him to international stardom.

Laurent went on to have a illustrious career in the fashion industry, founding his eponymous fashion label in 1962 and introducing iconic designs such as the tuxedo for women. He is regarded as one of the most influential fashion designers of the twentieth century, known for his elegant and innovative styles that empowered women and challenged traditional gender norms.

YSL's founder served as assistant to Christian Dior

Yves Saint Laurent, also known as YSL, is a French luxury fashion house founded in 1961 by Yves Saint Laurent and his partner, Pierre Bergé. The brand was established in 1962 by designer Yves Saint Laurent and his partner, Pierre Bergé.

The founder of YSL, Yves Saint Laurent, served as an assistant to Christian Dior. Michel de Brunhoff, the editor of Vogue France, introduced Saint Laurent to Dior, a giant in the fashion world. Dior hired him as an assistant and later named him his successor. Saint Laurent was only 17 years old at the time.

Saint Laurent's talent was recognized early on when he won first place in a contest by the International Wool Secretariat at the age of 17. This led to his move to Paris, where he enrolled at the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture. His designs quickly gained notice, and he was introduced to Dior by Michel de Brunhoff.

Under Dior's tutelage, Saint Laurent's style continued to mature and gain even more recognition. Dior was fascinated by Saint Laurent and taught him the basics of his art. When Dior suddenly passed away in 1957, Saint Laurent was named the head of the House of Dior.

During his time at Dior, Saint Laurent introduced more sophisticated and longer skirts. He also drastically shortened skirts in 1959 and introduced the chic beatnik look of turtlenecks and black leather jackets with fur edging in 1960. However, his time at Dior was interrupted by his induction into the French army in 1960, which led to a nervous collapse. He was replaced at the House of Dior, but soon after, in 1962, he opened his own fashion house, marking the beginning of the YSL brand.

YSL's founder lost his position at Dior when he was drafted into the army in 1960

Yves Saint Laurent, the founder of YSL, lost his position at Dior when he was drafted into the army in 1960. This event marked a significant turning point in his career and led to the creation of his eponymous fashion label.

Laurent's journey began at a young age, with a natural talent for design and a dream of a career in fashion. By his early teens, he was designing dresses for his mother and sisters. In 1955, at the age of 17, he met Christian Dior, who recognised his talent and hired him to work in his studio. Laurent spent two years learning the secrets of haute couture from Dior, contributing sketches, and helping to create haute couture dresses.

Following Dior's sudden death in 1957, Laurent, then 21 years old, became his successor and the world's youngest couturier. He presented his first collection for Dior in 1958, which received a standing ovation and positive reviews. He went on to design six collections for the House of Dior, including his final collection, "Souplesse, Légèreté, Vie," which featured dark colours and provoked mixed reactions.

However, Laurent's career trajectory changed abruptly in 1960 when he was conscripted into the French Army during the Algerian War of Independence. This interruption in his work, coupled with the stress of his impending replacement at Dior, took a toll on his mental health, leading to hospitalisation for depression. The House of Dior ultimately terminated his contract, and he was replaced by Marc Bohan.

Undeterred, Laurent, along with French industrialist Pierre Bergé, used the compensation he received from Dior for breach of contract to establish his own haute couture house. In 1962, the Yves Saint Laurent brand was born, and he presented his first couture creations for the rich and famous. Laurent's talent and determination paved the way for his successful fashion empire, which expanded beyond couture to include fragrances and ready-to-wear collections, empowering women and challenging traditional dressing norms.

YSL's perfumers are given freedom to craft unique, complex, luxury perfumes

Yves Saint Laurent, also known as YSL, is a French fashion house founded by Yves Henri Donat Mathieu-Saint Laurent. Laurent's career in fashion began at the age of 17 when he worked as an assistant to Christian Dior. After Dior's death, Laurent took over as head designer at Dior, but his time there was cut short when he was drafted into the army for the Algerian War of Independence. After his military service, Laurent started his own fashion company and went on to become one of the most influential fashion designers of the 1960s and 1970s.

In addition to his fashion designs, Laurent also ventured into the world of fragrance. YSL's first fragrance, "Y", was launched in 1964 and was a collaboration with perfumer Jean Amic. This was followed by other successful fragrances such as Rive Gauche (1970), Opium (1977), and Paris (1983), which have become modern classics in the perfume world.

At YSL Beauty, perfume is considered an art form. The perfumers are given complete artistic freedom to create unique, complex, and luxurious fragrances that blend nature and innovation. They draw their inspiration from Laurent's unique, forward-thinking vision. YSL perfumers are master craftspeople who select rare and precious ingredients with great care and respect for the environment to design exceptional scents. This commitment to sustainability is a key part of the YSL brand, with natural or man-made ingredients being rigorously selected for their beauty and safety.

The Ourika Community Gardens in Morocco, which were inspired by Laurent's most emblematic haute couture pieces, provide YSL perfumers with an experimental space to explore new olfactory territories. Using green science technologies, they can capture the scent of various plants and recreate them synthetically, offering unique blends while preserving the flora. This allows YSL to stay true to its belief in pushing boundaries and being ahead of its time, not just in aesthetics but also in ethics and sustainable practices.

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