With this exhibition, it is an opportunity to "show a lesser-known facet of the couturier who appeared to us very current, contemporary, graphic" through the pieces that were little exposed, said Elsa Janssen, director of the establishment to AFP.

A collaboration under the eye of visual artist Claudia Wieser

The graphic silhouettes presented in the exhibition "Yves Saint Laurent-Formes" are staged in the decor imagined by the German artist Claudia Wieser. His ceramic panels, mirror and sculptures resonate with the pure and colorful shapes of clothes, hats and shoes. "His genius and the durability of his work will be revealed all the more by inviting contemporary living artists to look at Yves Saint Laurent's work," says Elsa Janssen. Work on forms began in 1958, when Saint Laurent, then artistic director at Christian Dior, signed the "Trapeze" line, a silhouette that is part of the history of fashion.



"Shapes", the play of colors and geometry

The search for the line and verticality will be found in the famous "jumpsuit" (combination) created in 1968. The color, which the couturier will make radical use, helps to perfect the work on the forms. "From the end of the 1960s, he made assemblages that were almost unnatural in haute couture," says Serena Bucalo-Mussely, head of the museum's collections. An outfit with "blocks" of blue, electric blue, red is enhanced with a fuchsia stole. The bright yellow element emphasizes the clean cut of a black jacket. As for a white coat with black stripes from the Mondrian collection of 1965 "of obvious timelessness", ultimately only the fact that it is made of real fur does not make it "completely" modern, adds Elsa Janssen.

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