Yves Henri Donat Mathieu-Saint-Laurent is the name behind the legendary YSL brand and previous head designer of Christian Dior.
Famed for introducing the tuxedo for women (Le Smoking) and his use of non-white models, Yves Saint Laurent was and continues to be an extremely influential force in fashion.
Here’s our favourite YSL quotes..
1. “The most beautiful makeup of a woman is passion. But cosmetics are easier to buy.”
2. “Over the years I have learned that what is important in a dress is the woman who is wearing it.”
3. “Fashions fade, style is eternal.”
4. “The most beautiful clothes that can dress a woman are the arms of the man she loves. But for those who haven’t had the fortune of finding this happiness, I am there.”
5. “I have often said that I wish I had invented blue jeans: the most spectacular, the most practical, the most relaxed and nonchalant. They have expression, modesty, sex appeal, simplicity – all I hope for in my clothes.
6. “Isn’t elegance forgetting what one is wearing?”
7. “It pains me physically to see a woman victimized, rendered pathetic, by fashion.”
8. “We must never confuse elegance with snobbery.”
9. “Dressing is a way of life.”
10. “I am no longer concerned with sensation and innovation, but with the perfection of my style.”
Divine advice.