Yves St. Laurent Exhibit in Seattle: The Perfection of Style

Happy New Year! Recently I visited the Seattle Art Museum to view the stunning exhibit featuring the designs of YVES ST.LAURENT. Talk about having to pick your jaw up off the floor!?!  Wow, I was in awe of every outfit and had to pry myself away each time,  to carry on with the rest of the display.

Evening Gown:Autumn- Winter 1983 Haute couture collection: Paris pink silk satin draped bodice with large bow and black silk velvet skirt

Wedding Gown(forefront) Autumn-Winter 1970 haute couture collection. Multi colored silk velvet coat with applique letters forming the words LOVE ME FOREVER(front) or OR NEVER (back) and heart, stars, and cloud in multi-colored silk satin.

Short Evening Ensemble(left): Homage to Georges Braque. Spring-Summer 1988 haute couture collection. Ivory wool etamine Romanian-style blouse embroidered with sequins, silk thread, beads etc. Flared skirt of of sapphire -colored silk velvet.

Wedding Gown: Autumn-winter 1995 haute couture collection. White floral-print silk dmask panniered gown with long-sleeved bodice buttoned in back.

Evening Gown: Homage to Tom Wesselmann. Autumm-Winter 1966 haute couture collection .  Purple wool jersey dress with pink wool jersey incrustations(piecing).

Daytime Dress:(far right) Autumn-Winter 1967 Saint Laurent rive gauche

collection. Yellow cotton pique dress with sleeves and hem trimmed with red guipure

(a kind of lace).

Short evening ensemble: African Art- Spring/Summer  1967 haute couture collection. Fringed raffia coat, neckline embroidered with brown wooden beads. Ivory silk dress embroidered with wooden beads.

The walls covered with swatches and sketches were endless- gasp!

Photography: Valerie Hansen

The Perfection of Style opened on October 11th and closes on January 8, so if you love fashion- do whatever  it takes to get there! This show features over 100 haute couture garments and accessories, photographs, drawings, and films- spanning the 44 year career( 1936-2008) of this genius designer. The paper dolls St. Laurent created as a teen are also on display, and are shown here for the 1st time in the U.S.

Included are his first days at  Christian Dior in 1955, his radical designs of the 60's and 70's, and the grandeur of the final two decades of his career. Collections are featured from the "Fondation Pierre Berge."-- Both haute couture and SAINT LAURENT rive gauche, the ready-to-wear line that mesmerized the globe after it was introduced in 1966.

It was so intriguing and interesting to have this rare behind the scenes look into the creative and private life of the designer.  Photographs, drawings, fabric swatches , and collection boards with sketches review all the years of  his creative work and fascinating history.

The most amazing part was seeing  how the working process of his designs are shown from beginning to end: from the first sketch and fabric selection,  to the phase of making and fitting before the final design is realized.

The exhibition ends with a parade of magnificent evening gowns organized by color.  This was the most spectacular display of designer style  I've ever seen! 

I fell in love with so many of St. Laurent's designs! My favorite of all - the long black evening gown with the pink satin bow, in the back.

Which one is your favorite ?

I trust your Christmas celebrations were memorable and all the best wishes for a successful and healthy New Year. Thanks for stopping by my blog . I hope you find inspiration and a great story each time you visit!

                                                 xo   VALERIE

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* The exhibition is organized by the Seattle Art Museum in partnership with the Fondation Pierre Berge- Yves St. Laurent, Paris.