Yves Saint Laurent

‘YSL: The initials evoke allure and sophistication, and this brilliant illustrated portrait of the iconic designer has both’ Tatler Yves Saint Laurent is a name synonymous with style, elegance and high fashion. When he came on the scene at Dior and then started his own line, he quickly changed the way people regarded haute couture and the world of fashion itself. He revolutionized women’s evening wear when he introduced Le Smoking, a woman’s tuxedo, and made couture accessible to a younger generation.

Yves Saint Laurent is Roxanne Lowit’s personal photographic history of Saint Laurent, the man and the fashion, from 1978, the year she first met him, to the last show he gave in 2002. With contributions from YSL’s muses and admirers, including Catherine Deneuve, Betty Catroux, Lucie de la Falaise, Pat Cleveland and Valerie Steele, this book represents the backstage experience at YSL’s shows as Lowit experienced them herself. Whether surrounded by beautiful models or peeking at the catwalk from the wings, every moment was a magnificent photo opportunity. Lowit shares magical moments of YSL with the world – intimate, social, absorbed in fashion – and creates a unique portrait of this towering figure of postwar couture.

'‘Dazzling … [the photos are] perfectly complemented by the contributions by the likes of Catherine Deneuve, Betty Catroux and Lucie de la Falaise’'
Red

'‘A fine slice of fashion history, a peek at the looks and the personality that came to define couture in the last century’'
Wallpaper*

'‘As one of Yves Saint Laurent’s inner circle, photographer Roxanne Lowit had unrivalled access’'
Sunday Times

'‘Dazzling … Roxanne Lowit’s intimate images show the maître at work from 1978 up to his final show in 2002, and all the fabulousness that surrounded him’'
Evening Standard

Contents List

Introduction • The Photographs, interspersed contributions from YSL’s muses and admirers.

About the Author

Roxanne Lowit is a New York-based fashion photographer who started taking pictures in the 1970s. Her photographs have appeared in many magazines, including Vogue, Vanity Fair, Elle, V Magazine and Glamour, and she has worked on numerous advertising campaigns for, among others, Dior, Barney’s and Vivienne Westwood. Pierre Bergé was Yves Saint Laurent’s partner and co-founder of Yves Saint Laurent Couture House.