Yves St. Laurent

The talk of the town is the Yves Saint Laurent exposition at the Petit Palais. It is the largest collection of his designs mixed with the wonderful story of his life and inspirations. The line to get it is always at least 2 hours, no matter what time of day. So a few weeks into the exposition, Danielle and I show up at 9:30am on a weekday morning (doors open @10am) to secure a spot in line. We made it passed the guard about an hour later and snagged free tickets to the exposition (thanks Student Art ID!).

From the moment you walk in, you are surrounded by mannequins dripping in haute couture. They lead you through his earliest designs, classic suits, and magically giving women a waistline. He takes some big risks early in his career and receives a lot of criticism, but hey- it kept his designs in the press and his name on the tip of the fashion world’s tongue. As his designs develop, he uses Impressionist, Cubism , and Modern art as inspiration. I could actually identify the inspiring art through Yves’ designs. They group his ethnic inspired designs into one large room, displays everything from kimonos to African head dresses. Then the exposition twirls into over-the-top lavish gowns and The Smoking Room. Smoking is referring to his line of women’s tuxedo jackets. The Smoking Room is a floor to ceiling black wall with black mannequins adorned in every Yves Smoking tuxedo invented. They stand on black platforms and are lit up by tiny orange light bulbs, reminding me of cigarettes. It is honestly the most impressive display of couture that I’ve seen in Paris. The simplicity, flow, and beauty of his designs was perfectly captured in the Petit Palais exposition. Even to the very end—where they whisk you away with solid, colorful floaty dresses and gorgeous silk fabric displays.

As to not end our lavish afternoon, Danielle and I walked around the 1st Arrondisement and stopped in for Laduree macarons.

Yves designs are not only found at the Petit Palais, but also at Les Arts Decoratifs. In their hidden wing, Mode & Textile, you can find couture from every big name French designer. This exposition isn't as grand as the Petit Palais, however it's much more manageable and a bit off the beaten path. Fashion design students can often be found sketching after the famous designers. It is also located in the neglected wings of the Louvre building, between the Tuileries and Rue de Rivoli

Les Arts Décoratifs - Mode et tex­tile
107, rue de Rivoli
75001 Paris