Yves Saint-Laurent (2014)

Fashion history is one of my passions in life. I love seeing the evolution of fashion and style and the men and women who changed fashion each decade in the 1900s. I see fashion as an art and like artworks I find fashion so compelling. Every stitch, every color choice, every choice of patter and material, all tells a story. They can tell the story of their creator’s ideals and beliefs n what fashion is and what it can be. In the case of some designers like Alexander McQueen clothes can tell the story of the inner turmoil and struggle the designer suffered through in their life.

            I am not a fashionista in the slightest but I have such a deep appreciation for clothing and what they can do for us.  I wish I had a nice job and the money to be able to buy gorgeous pant suits and skirts and shirts and have cocktail parties and gala openings to attend so I could wear gorgeous dresses. To me fashion is not so much about showing off flash and cash and looking desirable. It is about finding that one outfit or those few outfits that make you feel fabulous and give you a power strut and boost of confidence.

            So now that you know I have a deep love and appreciation and passion for fashion history you now know why I chose to watch the 2014 biopic Yves Saint-Laurent.

            The biopic begins with Saint-Laurent’s take-over of the House of Dior when Dior passed away in the 1950s. Saint-Laurent ushered in beautiful clothes of his own designs while still keeping with Dior’s vision. Sometime later Saint-Laurent has a break down and is pushed out of his position at Dior. With the help of his partner Pierre, Saint-Laurent is able to open his own house and become one of the greatest fashion designers of the Twentieth Century.

            Saint-Laurent was also a troubled man between being gay and drugs and alcohol. He struggles to get himself together while creating clothes for women all over the world.

            Yves Saint-Laurent was not too bad of movie. I was more interested in seeing what went into making and designing the clothes rather than his personal life. But alas, the scandal and personal life of the rich and famous are what attract people. I see getting into someone’s personal life like this gossip and I HATE gossip. I would always much rather focus on what a famous person, be it a designer or actor/actress or singer, is known for. The story here kind of takes a look into some of what inspired Saint-Laurent such as his African-inspired collection and his middle eastern-inspired collection and even his most famous Mondrian dresses. I do not know much about Yves Saint-Laurent as a designer. He is one designer I have yet to fully research. But, even though I was not too much a fan of this biopic, after watching it I am very interested into researching Saint-Laurent very soon. I love the cuts and experimentation and inspiration of his clothing.

            Yves-Saint Laurent is worth watching at least once. With all biopics they are never really as good as the true, full story you find with research. I can only hope this biopic sets off your curious nature and leads you to find out more about this creative, troubled, brilliant designer just as it has for me.