“Fashions Fade, Style is Eternal” – Yves Saint Laurent

From a very young age it was obvious to those who knew Yves Saint Laurent that he was destined to be designing fashion. His passion, talent, and delicate nature were all intuitive of him having a very long and successful career in the industry. Being taught the tricks of the trade by one of the greatest couturiers ever, Saint Laurent certainly had a brilliant foundation to carve out his own style and fashion empire, which is still a popular brand in today’s marketplace. The 1960’s would not have been what it was had it not been for the Avant Garde style and ingenuity of Yves Saint Laurent.

Born in August in 1936, Saint Laurent grew up in with his parents and 2 sisters in Oran, Algeria, and spent much of his childhood creating paper dolls and costumes for him and his sisters to play with. He had a natural talent for sketching which was embraced and encouraged by his family. Saint Laurent was not popular in school and often bullied because of his feminine nature. With the love and support from his family however, Saint Laurent chased his dreams of Paris and couture fashion, and at only 17 was fortunate enough to meet the editor of French Vogue, Michael de Brunhoff, who was instantly struck by the raw talent displayed in Saint Laurent’s sketches. With this encouragement also, Saint Laurent enrolled at the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture, in Paris, and was soon being noticed by many designers of the time. Through de Brunhoff, Saint Laurent had possibly the most important meeting of his life, being introduced to Christian Dior, where he gained an apprenticeship at the House of Dior once he had completed his studies.

To begin with Saint Laurent’s duties were restricted by Dior, possibly as a teaching method. So it came as a shock when only 2 years later after Dior’s primitive death, that Saint Laurent was appointed the new head designer. He was only 21! With the financial success of the brand weighing heavily on his shoulders, Saint Laurent took the reins and did not disappoint. In his first collection for the House of Dior in 1957, the straight line of his creations, a softer version of Dior’s New Look, catapulted him to international stardom with what would later be known as the trapeze dress. His next few collections however, did not receive the same amount of acclaim, as Saint Laurent tried to introduce hobble skirts and beatnik fashions.

Then in 1960, Saint Laurent had to return to Algeria where he had been conscription to fight for the country’s independence. After only 20 days in the military, Saint Laurent ended up in hospital sighted with not being able to cope with the pressures of war. Only 2 months after he left, Saint Laurent returned to Paris subsequently being discharged, but discovered his position at Dior was no longer there. He had been replaced, and after successfully suing the House of Dior, found himself with enough financial backing to open his own couture house. Along with Pierre Berge his life partner, the two worked side by side and established the YSL brand. It sat at the top of the fashion empire for the next two decades, with styles such as the Pea Coat, Jumpsuit, Le Smoking Jacket, and the boyish Beatnik fashions, being some of YSL’s most notable creations.

One woman who became Saint Laurent’s biggest supported was Catherine Deneuve, who wore many YSL ensembles over the years. Saint Laurent drew much of his inspiration from artists, including Matisse, Picasso and Mondrian. Many of his collections displayed embroidery based on the colours and paintings of these artists. Saint Laurent was the first French couturier to come out with a full prêt-à-porter (ready-to-wear) line and in 1967 opened his first off the peg store in Paris’s 6^th arrondissment. His first customer was Catherine Deneuve. The YSL brand now encompasses clothing, jewellery, makeup, luggage and fragrance. It’s a global brand with the initials of the great Yves Saint Laurent being instantly recognisable the world over.

The pressure of completing two couture lines and two ready-to-wears lines every year soon took its toll on Saint Laurent, and he frequently turned to drugs and alcohol to try and get through it. At some shows, he could barely walk down the runway and had to be supported by his models. Then in 1987, after a disastrous ready-to-wear collection, he turned the line over to his assistants. The line remained ever popular with his fans.

In later life, Saint Laurent was honoured by the Metropolitan Museum of Art with a solo exhibition. Finally in 2002, Saint Laurent retired after 30 years creating. He became a recluse after this, spending his time between his homes in Normandy and Morocco with his French bulldog and partner Pierre Berge. Saint Laurent died on 1 June 2008, of brain cancer at his residence in Paris. It was reported that a few days before his death, Saint Laurent and Berge were married in a civil ceremony. He was given a catholic funeral in Paris before his ashes were returned to his home in Morocco where they were scattered amongst the garden in which Saint Laurent had often gone to, to find inspiration and solace through-out his career.

Yves Saint Laurent was a man of great talent. Even though he often lived a somewhat troubled life, the legacy left behind is one that shall never be forgotten. Tom Ford became the artistic director of YSL for a few years after Saint Laurent’s departure, and the brand lives on today through other talents such as Hedi Slimane and Anthony Vaccarello. It is a brand that I shall always think of first when it comes to Safari Suits, Power Dressing and the ever famous Shift Dress that can never be forgotten because of Saint Laurent’s use of colour blocking.

Love Always, Anastacia Rose xx

“All a woman needs to be chic is a raincoat, two suits, a pair of trousers and a cashmere sweater” – Hubert de Givenchy

It will come as no surprise to some that Hubert de Givenchy is one of my most loved designers. The man and his fashion house and synonymous with creating Audrey Hepburn’s style of the 1950’s. And it is my all-time love for Audrey that bought me to discover and admire the work of Givenchy. He was a man of tall stature, and over a 40 year career in fashion, he build his name into a recognisable brand that reflected his towering height over his opponents.

Hubert de Givenchy is another product of France, being born in Beauvais in 1927. He and his brother enjoyed a mostly affluent lifestyle, being born into an aristocratic family. The boys were raised by their mother and grandmother after their father’s untimely passing in 1930. Givenchy knew from a young age that he had a love for design and the arts, and attended an arts school after briefly considering a career in law. At the tender young age of only 17, he began an apprenticeship with one of the greats, Jacques Fath, and built on his natural talents as a designer. After working with Fath, Givenchy moved on to work alongside some of the other famous names of the time, including Robert Piguet, Lucien Lelong and Elsa Schiaparelli. Then on the 2^nd February, 1952, on the rue Alfred de Vigny, Givenchy opened his first couture house.

Givenchy was one of the first design houses of the 1950’s to produce a ready-to-wear collection. And it was an enormous success. Vogue magazine and The New York Times sang his praises claiming “A star is born”, and rating Givenchy as one of the “most newsworthy happenings this spring”. His collection included floaty skirts and puffy blouses all made from raw cotton, and the most iconic piece of this collection was the Bettina Blouse made of white cotton, and named after one of Givenchy’s muse Bettina Grazia. The applause at the conclusion of this debut was said to be loud, long and unqualified. First day sales totalled seven million francs!

Givenchy created many of the classic 1950’s silhouettes which I am a fan on today, and put emphasis on creating separate skirts and tops which appealed to the younger market. His initial collections displayed full skirts, nipped in waists, voluminous sleeves, and were accessorised with gloves, belts and ‘garbo’ hats. It was reported that in the early days, Givenchy only had a small premise in which to create his magic, and was often found ironing garments in the bathroom moments before they appeared on the runway. Hollywood soon noticed this young designer, and came calling for Givenchy to create costumes for some of the iconic films of the 1950’s and 1960’s. And it was here that Hubert de Givenchy meet Audrey Hepburn, and a lifelong friendship and adoration for each other began.

The first film in which Givenchy dressed Hepburn was Sabrina, alongside famed costume designer Edith Head. He then went on to style her wardrobe both on and off the screen, and Hepburn became the new ambassador for the House of Givenchy. Possibly the most famous image of Audrey Hepburn wearing a Givenchy creation is the little black dress in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Givenchy also dressed Hepburn in some of her other famous films of the era including Funny Face, How to Steal a Million, and Paris when it Sizzles. Their relationship remained solid over Givenchy’s career, and at his exhibition celebration 40 years in the business in 1991, it was naturally Hepburn who inaugurated it. Other famous women of the time who proudly wore Givenchy include Jaquelin Kennedy, Lauren Bacall and the Duchess of Windsor, for whom he made an outfit for to wear to her husband’s funeral in only 48 hours. In 1957, Givenchy’s relationship with his new muse Hepburn was so strong, that he developed a perfume for her sole use. L`Interdit later became available to the public, along with many other fragrances that the House of Givenchy developed.

It should also be mentioned the influence that another great designer had on Givenchy. Balenciaga formed a close bond with Givenchy, and by 1963 they were both talked about in the same breath. It is said that through this friendship, Givenchy quest for perfection was formed, and he wore his mentors white coat at the end of each show. At one point in time, Balenciaga and Givenchy had their fashion houses located opposite each other on the same street in Paris.

The Givenchy label has grown significantly over the decades, and now not only encompasses women’s fashion, but also menswear, shoes, jewelry, ties, tableware, upholstery and kimonos. A significant milestone for Givenchy came in 1988 when after 36 years at the helm, Hubert de Givenchy sold his empire to LVMH. He stayed on for a few more years, finally winding down and retiring in 1995. Givenchy was succeeded by John Galliano, followed closely by Alexander McQueen in 1996. Also having been in charge and taking the title of artistic director have been Julien MacDonald, Riccardo Tisci and currently Clare Waight Keller.

As Hubert de Givenchy now sits back and enjoys his retirement, I’m sure he must be immensely proud and empowered by his contributions to the history of fashion. Every time I watch one of my favourite Audrey Hepburn films, I simply marvel at his ingenuity and flair for style that made the 1950’s such a grand decade in couture. Be it that little black dress, the floral printed full skirt or those chic and voluptuous sleeves, Givenchy has certainly left an everlasting mark on the world of fashion.

Love Always, Anastacia Rose xx

“Fashion is a language. Some know it, some learn it, some never will – like an instinct.” – Edith Head

There is a woman who was instrumental in the History of Fashion who many may not know about. She rose to the top of the pack and became a leader in Hollywood costume design for a career spanning nearly 60 years. She was hard working, meticulous, prolific and talented beyond expectation. She was nominated for 35 Academy Awards, and took home 8 golden statues. She knew her own personal style and stuck to it. She gave films of the 1950’s something to be really proud of. She’s an inspiration to me, a muse, someone to aspire to be.   She, was Edith Head.

An only child born into an American family living in California in 1897, Edith grew up the daughter of a mining engineer, and spend some of her childhood years moving around between Arizona, Nevada and Mexico. She went to high school in Los Angeles, and after completing her studies here, enrolled at the University of California, Berkeley, where she received her Bachelor of Arts, earning honors in French. Head then went on to enroll at Stanford University, where she earned a Master of Arts degree in romance languages in 1920. Head had no inclination towards fashion, and after graduation, went on to teach languages, predominantly French, and art to a girl’s school in Hollywood. Head did have an interest in drawing however, and to improve her sketching, took night classes on the subject.

Then in 1923, Head was hired by Paramount Pictures as an assistant in the wardrobe department to then head costume designer Howard Greer. She was to sketch costume ideas, with the first film she worked on being a silent movie of 1925 called The Wanderer. It didn’t take long for Head to show real talent and versatility when working on different films, and by 1930, she had established herself as one of the go-to costume designers for Hollywood. At this point though, Head was still working under her male colleagues, and it’s wasn’t until their resignation, and her appointment as head of wardrobe in 1938, that she started to receive the recognition for her years of hard work. Head was the first female to have ever achieved this role at any Hollywood studio, and so was considered a leader of the time.

Over her 44 year career at Paramount, Head dressed some of the most notable dames of the film industry. Ginger Rogers, Mae West, Grace Kelly and Bette Davis were only a few of the stars to be dressed by Head. One of her most famous creations was the sarong worn by Dorothy Lamour in The Jungle Princess (1936). Unlike many of her male contemporaries, Head chose to engage extensively with the female stars she worked with, and was soon ‘loaned’ out by Paramount to other studios due to the high demand by starlets of the time. She often worked on several films at once and Alfred Hitchcock was said to be one of her biggest supporters. In 1967, Head left Paramount Pictures and joined Universal Studios where she remained for the rest of her career. Studio based film production began to decline around this time, and many of the stars of the 1940’s and 1950’s also went into retirement. As a result, Head started designing more for television series while still dabbling in film.

Throughout her 60 year career in the industry, Head became the only woman to win 8 Academy Awards. No other female has achieved this to date! Some of the films she received credit for caused controversy. Other designers, namely Hubert de Givenchy, who designed the main wardrobe for Audrey Hepburn in Sabrina, saw Head receive the Oscar for Best Costume Design for the film. Other films which Head received an Oscar for were All About Eve, Samson and Delilah, Roman Holiday and The Sting. Head received a nomination by The Academy every year from 1948 to 1966.

In 1970, Head was approached by the US Coast Guard to design a new uniform for its ever growing female employees. It was noted as a highlight in Head’s career. During this period, Head also designed for a television mini-series based on Little Women. She also authored the books The Dress Doctor (1959), How to Dress for Success (1967) and the autobiographical Edith Head’s Hollywood (1983).

Having been credited with working on over 1100 films throughout her career, Edith Head remains as possibly the best costume designer we have seen. Her trademark dark sunglasses illustrated the very private woman that she was. She is also instantly recognizable for her hairstyle, flat bangs and a chignon, which remained the same throughout her time in the spotlight. Many may not know that the character in the animated film The Incredibles, Edna Mode, was inspired by Edith Head. With her passing in 1981, Head left behind a legacy none have so far come close to. She is truly one of the greatest, and will forever be known as a woman who gave Hollywood it’s style, elegance and glamour throughout the 1950’s.

Love Always, Anastacia Rose xx

 

“The real proof of an elegant woman is what is on her feet” – Christian Dior

Although he only had a short career in the fashion industry, Christian Dior left a mark as one of the most elegant, influential, and successful couturiers of all time. In what is considered a reasonably short career path, Dior was able to establish himself at the top, and remain there for not only the next 10 years, but build a fashion empire that lives on today. Dior is credited with designing my all-time favourite style of fashion, released in 1947 post World War 2. This overtly feminine style, dubbed the ‘New Look’ by then American Vogue editor, Carmel Snow, showcased padded bust lines, cinched in waistlines, and hems then fell to 30cm above the ground.

Christian Dior was a man of immense talent when it came to the atelier. Born in Northern France in 1905, he had a fairly affluent upbringing and studied political science in the mid 1920’s. The following decade, Dior started dabbling in his passion for design, selling his fashion sketches to make ends meet, and was soon discovered by another of France’s great couturiers of the time, Robert Piguet. But sadly the war bought and abrupt end to this partnership, with Dior being sent to the south of France to serve with the French army. In 1940 he returned to Paris, and once again found his love for fashion, being hired at the largely successful House of Lelong. It was here that he mastered his skills as an expert cutter and learned complicated dressmaking techniques that he would later use under his own brand.

Then in 1947, the shy designer released his first solo collection under his own name, with none predicting the response and everlasting stamp that it made in fashion history. Many were shocked that after such recent war rationing, a designer would be so obscene to make a skirt requiring 20 metres of fabric! Dior also put women back into corseted bodices and tightly fitting waistlines that showcased their true feminine features. But even though it raised a few eyebrows, the ‘New Look’ was Dior’s defining moment and launched him onto a global stage.

Some of the key features through-out his career were the A-line, consisting of a voluminous skirt, a style which is still used widely today. Dior also developed the H-line and the Y-line, consisting of slim line jackets, and oversized V shaped collars respectively. He cut his creations from fine suiting fabrics, expensive velvets and satin taffeta. He was once quoted as saying he wanted his designs to make women look like flowers, something which his Tulip line of 1953 represented well.

Dior’s untimely death in 1957 cut short an inspiring career, but left a mark on fashion that is still visible today. Dior dressed some of the most famous women in the world, including Princess Grace of Monaco, Marlene Dietrich and Queen Elizabeth II. His fitted jackets with peplums, boat neck collars, and strapless self-supporting evening gowns, were trends that stood the test of time. After his death, the House of Dior fell into very talented hands, with his apprentice Yves Saint Laurent taking the reins and steering the global empire towards its hugely successful future.

Christian Dior will always remain as one of the most forward thinking and Avant Garde designers in fashion. He will forever be one of my favourites, and I cannot thank him enough for making women of the 1950’s so glamourous and inspiring on my quest to establish my own unique ‘Look’.

Love Always, Anastacia Rose xx