Photo credit: Duane Michals for Metropolitan Museum of ArtWhenever I travel, I purchase postcards as mementos. When I wrote yesterday's post about Fondation Pierre Berge-Yves Saint Laurent, I forgot (in my jet-lagged and disoriented state) that I'd purchased a stack of cards in the boutique.
The first postcard showcases six Russian-inspired dresses from the fall-winter 1976-77 collection. After having been to the show "Le costume populaire russe", I can see the influence of the voluptuous silks, rich colours, intricate beading and elaborate head-wear of traditional Russian costumes on these YSL gowns.
Photo credit: Duane Michals for the Metropolitan Museum of ArtYves Saint Laurent also took inspiration from other cultures including Africa. The four dresses above from the YSL spring-summer 1967 collection were African inspired.
Photo credit: Duane Michals for the Metropolitan Museum of ArtAnd lastly, this postcard features YSL with three of his artist inspired creations, including the Mondrian dress (1965-66), the Matisse dress (1981-82) and the Picasso dress (1979-80).
Yves Saint Laurent revisited these inspirations many times over the course of his career. If you are as passionate about his work as I am, you'll want to (re)read the following posts:
Quotes from Yves Saint Laurent (June 3, 2008)
Lessons from Yves Saint Laurent (June 7, 2008)
YSL Retrospective at the Museum of Fine Arts in Montreal (June 10, 2008)
Book Review: The Beautiful Fall, Fashion, Genius and Glorious Excess in 1970s Paris