San Francisco's de Young Museum is the home to this winter's Yves Saint Laurent exhibit, an inspiring retrospective presenting over 120 fully accessorized outfits of this truly revolutionary fashion designer--the grand daddy of gender-bending silhouettes and styles. From the tuxedo to the trench coat, the black and white print to the bold color-block dress, Saint Laurent defined and defied fashion for the last 50 years.

If you have ever visited the de Young, you know that it is a fitting space for this well-curated and thoughtful exhibit. The modern building is a stark statement within the lush greenery of Golden Gate Park. The upstairs textile galleries play host to the large collection that shows Saint Laurent's depth of accomplishment. As you first walk into the gallery, you are confronted with Saint Laurent's most notable style – the tuxedo. Across multiple decades, he weaves the satin accents and masculine lines into pant suits, skirt suits, cocktail dresses and evening gowns.

The pieces that struck me most throughout the show were the bridal gowns. Four distinct garments; four distinct decades; four distinct statements on gender and fashion’s role in women's lives. The first you come upon in the entry gallery. The hand-knitted off-white cocoon is nothing if not restrictive. The beautifully intricate chunky knit from his 1965 fall collection is reminiscent of the hand-crafted garments of centuries ago, and yet its silhouette is a clear statement on traditionally marriage – intended or not. 

[knitted cocoon dress, photo from media.canada.com]

[Love Me Forever, photo from stylebubble.typepad.com]

Around the corner is the second, much larger gallery that resembles a circus in its bold and varied colors. It is here that the 3 other bridal gowns live, sprinkled among the day and evening outfits of internationally-inspired beauty. The Love Me Forever gown is typical Saint Laurent in its break from the traditional. Short, multicolored with text appliquéd across the fabric, the Fall 1970 collection's Love Me Forever provides a clear contrast to the cocoon. A decade later Saint Laurent created his Shakespearian gown. In lush gold and orange damask and brocade the gown lacks the obvious critique of the previous two bridal gowns but clearly articulates his knowledge of costume and material. 

[Photo from www.canadianart.ca]

The final gown is far from the demure beauty of the Shakespearian costume. A wreath of fabric roses draped around the waist and chest, a sash of pink satin acts as a train. This Spring 1999 ensemble underscores the grace of the natural beauty, using the lines of the model's body to define the look. Looks as diverse as the decades they were born of, yet each works to clearly play with traditions and gender, through silhouette and fabric.

These are just 4 examples of the amazing work of the iconic atelier of Yves Saint Laurent. I have not touched upon the 100 other pieces that Saint Laurent used to redraw the lines of fashion, his varied influences or the myriad who have been inspired and influenced by his work. These are things that are worth uncovering for yourself.

My father once jokingly said about Norm Abram from This Old House, "No matter what you do in life, you will never be as great as Norm." I will unflinchingly repeat this sentiment about Monsieur Laurent, but I do wish you good luck. I suggest the following: the YSL Exhibit Catalog, 100 Years of Fashion Illustration, and a subscription to Vogue.

If you can’t make it to San Francisco and want to learn more about YSL and the exhibit, you can see the presentations from De Young on FORA.TV. I suggest staring with Pierre Berge at the Eternal Style Symposium.

Yves Saint Laurent
de Young Museum, San Francisco, CA
through 4/5/09