Yves Saint Laurent Dies in Paris June 1st, 2008
I first met Yves Saint Laurent backstage in Paris in the early 90's . He was shy and very softspoken and visibly trembled when asked a question about his upcoming collection. He kept repeating : "All I want to do is to make women look more beautiful." After all he is the man who put women into pants day and night, made bohemian chic, chic, and made - le smoking - an object of desire for women.
As the seasons came and went he was many times absent backstage with rumours of illness and even of demise : his stalwart artistic director Lou Lou de la Falaise carried on the vision of colour, romance and of course the legendary tuxedo that recurred in his collections. But towards the late 90's,YSL reappeared backstage inspired by the beauty of his young model, Laetitia Casta who carried on the closing bridal sequence at the end of his shows. The first time Saint Laurent came out to meet Casta the bride at the end of the runway, a chill went down my spine : he had the master's touch as he unfurled the bridal veil ever so delicately from that porcelain doll face: and he did it with a childlike mischievous smile.
Posted by Madeleine Czigler, Paris Bureau
