Alexander DiGenova
Professor Plochocki
Composition
November 16, 2015
The Rockstar Fashion House
The story of Yves Saint Laurent truly displays the adventure of life in one of the most breathtaking ways. The young aspiring designer went from heaven to hell and back to open his own fashion house. While in command of his own fashion house, the designer quickly developed an exceptionally strong brand identity. The man could sell anything with his name on it, from couture dresses to edgy cigarettes. Toward the end of his life, the fashion house seemed to lose its true rock-star identity to an older, decayed look. Hedi Slimane reinvented the fashion house and established his own take on the highly sought after contemporary look that Yves Saint Laurent once created before.
Mr. Saint Laurent did not start as the suave character he developed into upon is success. His career kicked off at Dior, where he worked as a shy, frail assistant under world-renowned designer Christian Dior, until he passed away. In a short biography titled, “Yves Saint Laurent: The Battle for His Life Story,” John Michael O’Sulivan says, “Saint Laurent became an object of immediate fascination: quiet, timid, with neatly parted schoolboy hair, anxious eyes lurking behind thick glasses and a frail body encased in a tight black suit.” His persona drastically changed as he quickly escalated through the ranks of Dior; and by the mere age of 21, Yves Saint Laurent became the youngest ever head designer of a fashion house. His success was apparent at an early stage, when the once fragile Yves Saint Laurent attracted worldwide couture sales for his debut collection and even saved Dior from potential financial collapse. However after sadly being diagnosed with a mental illness, Mr. Saint Laurent received the boot from Dior in a short lived 3 years. Upon his release from Dior there was seemingly a contract breach that ultimately served as catalyst to his real success.
In the movie, Yves Saint...