Vintage White Saint Laurent 1970s Linen Dress
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: 38 (EU)
- Style:Elegant (In the Style Of)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:Condition: Pre-owned. Good. Missing one button.
- Seller Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU147220444192
Saint Laurent
French fashion 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, he 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. Under creative director Hedi Slimane, the house’s ready-to-wear collection was rebranded as Saint Laurent in 2012.
Browse an extraordinary collection of vintage Saint Laurent evening dresses, shirts, handbags and other clothing and accessories today on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: New York, NY
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 2 days of delivery.
- Black Celine Suede & Leather Dress Size FR 40By CelineLocated in New York, NYBlack suede and leather dress by Celine. From the Phoebe Philo Era. Crew neck. Long sleeves. Zip closure at center back. 34" bust, 33" waist, 37" length, 15.5" shoulder width.Category
21st Century and Contemporary European Casual Dresses
- Roberto Cavalli Black Long Sleeve Beaded DressBy Roberto CavalliLocated in New York, NYProduct Details: Black long sleeve dress by Roberto Cavalli. V-neckline. Beading throughout bodice. Zip closure at center back. 36" bust, 30" waist, 36" length, 18" shoulder width. ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Formal Wear
- Vintage Light Pink Chanel Fall/Winter 2000 Printed Silk Dress Size FR 42By ChanelLocated in New York, NYVintage light pink printed silk dress by Chanel. From the Fall/Winter 2000 Collection. Pointed collar. Long sleeves. Four pockets. Belt at waist. Concealed button closures. 40" bust,...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Day Dresses
- Black & White Bottega Veneta Butterfly Print Dress Size EU 42By Bottega VenetaLocated in New York, NYBlack and white butterfly print dress by Bottega Veneta. Crew neck. Sleeveless. Gathering at front waist side. Zip closure at back. 34" bust, 30" waist, 44" length, 15" shoulder width.Category
21st Century and Contemporary Day Dresses
- White & Light Blue Tricot Comme Des Garcons Layered Dress Size US SBy Comme des GarçonsLocated in New York, NYWhite and light blue pinstriped layered dress by Tricot Comme Des Garcons. Bateau neckline. Short sleeves. Button closures at front. 35" bust, 32.5" waist, 47" length, 14.5" shoulder...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Day Dresses
- Turquoise Oscar de la Renta Resort 2015 Wool Dress Size US 4By Oscar De La RentaLocated in New York, NYTurquoise sleeveless wool dress by Oscar de la Renta. From the Resort 2015 Collection. Dual hip pockets. Zip closure at back. 35" bust, 36" waist, 37" length, 12" shoulder width.Category
2010s Day Dresses
- Vintage 60s 70s Mod GREEN MCM Geometric Abstract OP ART MAD MEN Dress M/LLocated in Asheville, NCVintage Mod Green Dress, Diamond and Floral Print, Polyester, Metal Zipper on Back, Darted, Short Sleeve, Calf Length, Great for Spring! Measurements Laying Flat: Bust 18" Waist 17...Category
1960s Informal Dresses
- Chanel Navy Dress with LogoBy ChanelLocated in New York, NYChanel navy dress, size 36. Excellent condition.Category
2010s Day Dresses
- AZZEDINE ALAÏA black dress and green polka dots FR 36By Azzedine AlaïaLocated in Rubiera, REAZZEDINE ALAÏA PARIS black dress with green polka dots - sleeveless very snug zip on the back size FR 36 Made in Italy 50% wool 25% viscose 15% polyamide 10% polyester Flat measures:...Category
2010s Italian Mini Dresses
- Gianni Versace Couture purple lace dressBy Gianni Versace CoutureLocated in Rubiera, REGianni Versace Couture purple lace macramé dress vintage 90s Size IT 42 Made in Italy - Atlas SpA 55% cotton 17% polyamid 11% silk 9% acetate Lined Flat...Category
1990s Cocktail Dresses
- VERSACE velvet barocco dress and biker jacket pre fall 2011By VersaceLocated in Rubiera, REVersace pre fall 2011 Collection Coordinated biker jacket and dress, velvet barocco Size IT 42 Excellent conditionCategory
2010s Italian Jackets
- VERSACE coat and dress black and white F/W 2011By VersaceLocated in Rubiera, REVERSACE FALL 2011 COLLECTION Black and white coordinated coat and dress Size IT 40 Made in Italy 1st fabric (black): 100% wool 2nd fabric (white): 68% polyester 22% polyurethane and...Category
2010s Italian Coats
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.
This Golden Saint Laurent Handbag Feels Like a Disco-Era Throwback (in the Best Way Possible)
If you're looking for an accessory that brings the party, this is it.