Yves Saint Laurent was not only a visionary fashion designer but also a passionate art collector and painter. Together with Pierre Bergé, he built a stunning art collection that inspired his designs and showcased his love for the arts. Throughout his career, Saint Laurent found ways to honor his favorite artists through his clothing, resulting in some of the most breathtaking and unique pieces in fashion history.
One of his most iconic tributes was to Dutch painter Piet Mondrian. In his Autumn-Winter 1965 collection, Saint Laurent debuted a series of dresses that paid homage to the geometric, colorful style of the artist. By inlaying wool jersey with no visible seams, Saint Laurent created a textile representation of Mondrian's famous paintings. This masterpiece of clothing was a perfect reflection of the painter's sense of geometry, and it was met with rave reviews from the international press.
Critics such as Diana Vreeland from the New York Times and Women's Wear Daily hailed Saint Laurent as the "king of Paris" and declared the collection as his best work yet. Saint Laurent's "dialogue with art" was a hallmark of his career, and it is evident in every piece he created. His designs were not just clothes but works of art that celebrated the beauty and power of both fashion and painting.
