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Cover of YVES SAINT LAURENT AND PHOTOGRAPHY
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YVES SAINT LAURENT AND PHOTOGRAPHY

by art historians, curatorial specialists, and museum staff testify to Saint Laurent’s intimate relationship with photography. “My greatest asset,” he once remarked, “has been the eye I have for the time I live in and for the art of my time.” As Christoph Wiesner, director of the Arles Photography Festival, observes, for Saint Laurent, “working with photographers was a means of exploring his own limits, of giving his clothes another life beyond the purely material one.” Saint Laurent had been assistant to Christian Dior at the time of Dior’s sudden death in 1957\u003B immediately, he was thrust into the public eye, with critics and fashion doyennes alike anticipating his creations. From his first show, in 1961, his evolution as a designer was documented by photographers who included some of the most famous names in the field: Irving Penn, Helmut Newton, Richard Avedon, William Klein, Lord Snowdon, Horst P. Horst, Inge Morath, Cecil Beaton, and Annie Liebovitz, all represented here. His models, too, were renowned: Audrey Hepburn, Twiggy Lawson, Jean Shrimpton, Paloma Picasso, Catherine Deneuve, among many others. He was much photographed himself, with portraits revealing a well\u002Dcurated “cool masculinity” as well as changes in dress, hair style, and affect—most notably in 1971, for the launch of his men’s fragrance, when he posed nude, his long hair tousled, wearing nothing but his signature black glasses."

Book Details

Publisher:Festival
Published:2025-01-01
Pages:240
Format:paperback
Language:English
ISBN:9781838669

Reading Info

Age Range:12-18

About This Book

This visually stunning exploration of Yves Saint Laurent's relationship with photography offers young fashion enthusiasts an intimate look at how the legendary designer collaborated with photographer...

Our Review

This visually stunning exploration of Yves Saint Laurent's relationship with photography offers young fashion enthusiasts an intimate look at how the legendary designer collaborated with photographers to create iconic imagery. Through carefully curated photographs and accessible commentary, readers discover how Saint Laurent's revolutionary designs were captured and transformed into cultural touchstones by master photographers. The book beautifully bridges the worlds of high fashion and photographic art, making complex creative partnerships understandable for emerging artists and style aficionados alike.

What sets this volume apart is its focus on the symbiotic relationship between clothing design and image-making, revealing how photography amplified Saint Laurent's vision beyond the runway. Teen readers interested in fashion history, artistic collaboration, or visual storytelling will find endless inspiration in these pages, while parents can appreciate the sophisticated yet approachable presentation of artistic legacy. The collection ultimately demonstrates how creative disciplines intersect to shape cultural memory, leaving readers with a deeper appreciation for both fashion design and photographic artistry.

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