Yves Saint Laurent Floral Silk Long Sleeve Mini Dress YSL, 1980s
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Length: 33 in (83.82 cm)Marked Size: 38 (EU)Bust: 36 in (91.44 cm)Waist: 40 in (101.6 cm)Hip: 40 in (101.6 cm)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Boca Raton, FL
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU73014761382
Yves Saint Laurent
French designer Yves Saint Laurent pioneered “cross-design” in fashion, taking inspiration from street trends to modernize haute couture.
Saint Laurent was the first to launch a ready-to-wear label, YSL Rive Gauche Prêt-à-Porter. He was the first couturier to open boutiques for both men and women. Using traditional menswear fabrics and designs for women, Saint Laurent also literally cross-dressed, giving men and women alike chic pant suits, elegant tuxedo jackets and urban safari gear.
By blurring gender-specific design, Saint Laurent empowered individual style while creating a scissor-sharp fashion aesthetic of sensual ease and beauty. Many of his designs are today considered timeless classics. Saint Laurent also consistently used Black models, like Mounia, Iman and Naomi Campbell, and he drew endless inspiration from different ethnicities and cultures, in no small part because of his Algerian roots.
Born to French parents in Oran, Algeria, in 1936, Saint Laurent went to Paris at age 17 to study fashion at the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture. Just two years later, in 1955, his remarkable sketches were shown to Christian Dior, then the world’s reigning couturier, who hired him immediately.
Surprisingly soon thereafter, Dior publicly chose Saint Laurent as his successor, which sadly proved prescient when the fashion legend died unexpectedly, in 1957. A mere slip of a youth, the 21-year-old Saint Laurent was nevertheless up to the challenge. He shook the traditional couture clientele to its core with youthful silhouettes and styles like the A-line trapeze dress that hung with seeming effortlessness from the shoulders, the antithesis of the pinched waists and molded skirts that had been all the rage after the deprivations of World War II.
After a mandated spell in the torturous French military, Saint Laurent suffered a nervous breakdown and was dismissed by Dior in 1962. Out of the ashes rose the Age of Yves. With Pierre Bergé, his then-lover who became his lifelong business partner and friend, the designer founded Yves Saint Laurent YSL to encompass prêt-à-porter, or ready-to-wear. In 1966, they opened the first YSL Rive Gauche women’s boutique in Paris, followed soon thereafter by YSL Rive Gauche for men. Saint Laurent had given birth to a global brand.
His revolutionary Mondrian mini dress from 1965 is a core element of his fashion biography. It is a prime example of how Saint Laurent, an avid art lover and collector, looked to painters, from Goya to Picasso, Ingres to Matisse, for inspiration.
With its pure lines and hues, Mondrian’s ground-breaking 1935 color-block painting Composition C transmutes beautifully into a dress that is highly valued by collectors of contemporary fashion and widely copied commercially to this day. The design is the epitome of Saint Laurent’s aesthetic, requiring a meticulous hand-piecing of each color block so that, despite the body’s curves, the visual plane is as flat as a canvas when the garment is worn. Mondrian’s purity met its match in Saint Laurent.
“I am no longer concerned with sensation and innovation, but with the perfection of my style,” Saint Laurent said four years before retiring, in 2002. After a long period of ill health, he died at his home in Paris on June 1, 2008.
Browse an extraordinary collection of vintage Yves Saint Laurent evening dresses, shirts, handbags and other clothing and accessories today on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Boca Raton, FL
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 2 days of delivery.
- Bob Mackie Ivory Sequin, Pearls & Nude Stretch Net Thigh High Slit Dress, 1980sBy Bob MackieLocated in Boca Raton, FLBob Mackie is commonly regarded as one of the world’s most prolific costume designers with his designs gracing stages and screens all over the globe. He famously designed for the lik...Category
1980s Unknown Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Pauline Trigère Abstract Floral Print Cotton Kimono Angel-Sleeve Dress, 1960sLocated in Boca Raton, FLPauline Trigère was a prominent figure in putting American designers on the map. Like many of the acclaimed French couturiers, she was an expert at tailoring and had an eye for interesting volumes. However true-to-form of the American aesthetic, Trigère designs are known for their relative simplicity and elegance through ease. From the late 1960s, this magnificent dress is a fine example of why Trigère’s designs were so beloved in Hollywood during that period. Done in a woven cotton featuring an abstract floral print in white, chartreuse, pink, lavender, and ochre on a navy ground, this dress is a wearable work of art. The bodice begins with a high round collar and has incredible sheer kimono...Category
1960s Unknown Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Junya Watanabe Comme des Garcons Floral Gold Chain Cut Out Back Dress, 2008By Comme des Garçons, Junya Watanabe Comme des GarçonsLocated in Boca Raton, FLProtégé of the notorious Rei Kawakubo, Junya Watanabe is known for offering similarly expressive and artistic works that push the boundaries of fashion and the avant-garde. Showcasin...Category
Early 2000s Japanese Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Pamella Roland Silk Leopard Print Strapless Evening Gown and ShawlBy Pamella RolandLocated in Boca Raton, FLAmerica designer Pamella Roland has had a fairly recent rise to recognition in the world of fashion. Debuting her first collection only in 2002, Roland’s affinity for sleek, beautifu...Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Unsigned Gold Sequin Tunic Mini Dress 1960s StyleLocated in Boca Raton, FLThe designer of this tunic dress is unknown, but that makes it no less spectacular. Done in alternating boxes of matte and shiny gold sequins that create a lattice design, this dazzling dress is playful and sophisticated at once. The bodice begins with a scoop neckline and wide, three-quarter length sleeves, giving this dress a relaxed, languid feel. The dress falls to a mini-length at the upper thigh in a subtle A-line, creating a classic 60s silhouette. The boxes of sequins are arranged in intersecting rows and columns that follow and accentuate the natural lines of the body, giving the eye something new to appreciate at each angle while the sequins glimmer and catch the light. Size estimate: SML/MED Measurements: Shoulders: 16 inches Sleeves: 15 inches Bust: 37 inches Waist: 35 inches Hips: 37 inches Length: 33 inches Evoking the glam mod chic of the 60s embodied by supermodels and socialites such as Twiggy and Edie Sedgwick, this dress is meant for the spotlight and is the perfect choice for a wedding, cocktail party, or special occasion. A special addition to the discerning fashion lover’s wardrobe, this dress can easily be paired with strappy heels and statement accessories. This vintage 60s style dress...Category
1990s Unknown Mini Dress
- A 1960s Nan Duskin Couture Metallic Brocade Empire Waist DressBy Nan DuskinLocated in Boca Raton, FLA show stopping dress from Nan Duskin. Fashioned from a metallic accented brocade in hues of magenta, blush, tangerine and champagne. Bullion trim sur...Category
1960s Empire Waist Dresses
- Vintage Claude Montana One Shoulder Crepe GownBy Claude MontanaLocated in London, GBA chic and edgy vintage crepe dress by Claude Montana. The dress has one shoulder, is fully lined and has a 25' slit at the front. Made in Italy, size 42/8. Measurements: Bust 36/7,...Category
1980s Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Vintage Gina Fratini Pink and White Prairie DressBy Gina FratiniLocated in London, GBA stunning vintage dress by Gina Fratini for Paula Lee. In a pink and white check with central back zip and frill over the arms, its a real he...Category
1970s British Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Torso Creations Canary Silk Crepe Micro-Mini Dress w Extravagant Ostrich TrimBy Torso CreationsLocated in Gresham, ORTorso Creations Canary Silk Crepe Micro-Mini Dress w Extravagant Ostrich Trim: Tank cut neck, fully lined and zippered back. Would be perfect for any costume ball! US size 4-6.Category
1960s American Mini Dress
- 1980s James Galanos Olive Green Lace Minidress w Sheer Lame Lace Balloon SleevesBy James GalanosLocated in Gresham, OR1980s James Galanos Olive Green Lace Minidress w Sheer Lame Lace Balloon Sleeves: Scalloped decollatage and choker neckline. Lace is layered over a body of gold lame. Figure hugging...Category
1980s American Mini Dress
- 2003 S/S Alexander McQueen Sleeveless Sequin DressBy Alexander McQueenLocated in Studio City, CA2003 S/S Alexander McQueen "Irere" collection pale gold sequined sleeveless dress with concealed mother-of-pearl buttons and pleats at the hips, producing a graduated front hem which...Category
Early 2000s British Evening Dresses
- Louis Féraud Haute Couture Satin Dress Embroidered with Mother of Pearl ButtonsBy Louis FeraudLocated in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FRLouis Féraud -Satin dress embroidered with mother of pearl buttons. It is accompanied by a beige muslin stole also embroidered. No size indicated, it corresponds to a 34FR/36FR. Co...Category
1990s French Evening Dresses
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
How to Spot a Fake YSL Bag
Counterfeiters know that savvy fashionistas cherish YSL bags. Learn how to tell if yours is the real deal. Of course, you don't have to worry about that on 1stDibs, where every seller is highly vetted.
Quiet Luxury May Be Trending, but These Famous Interiors Prove That Quality and Quirk Endure
Because truly timeless design requires personal vision, transcendent taste, real fortitude and top-notch objects, even if the wider world hasn’t caught on yet.