Yves Saint Laurent "Rive Gauche" vintage 1970s cotton safari dress
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: French 36 (EU)Bust: 42 in (106.68 cm)Waist: 40 in (101.6 cm)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Small light belt mark at the back and the two cuff buttons have been replaced with similar buttons. Overall, it's in very good condition, clean and ready to wear, and still so beautiful and cool. Price is adapted accordingly to the condition.
- Seller Location:Antwerp, BE
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU44719511982
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: Antwerp, Belgium
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 1 day of delivery.
- Marcel Marongiu vintage 1990s black jersey cut out style tank dressLocated in Antwerp, BEThis exquisite long black jersey dress from the 1990s is a vintage piece by the renowned French designer Marcel Marongiu. Originally, the Marcel Marongiu were available at the presti...Category
1990s French Maxi Dresses
- Courreges 1960s vintage black 100% silk smock boned bustier dressBy Courrèges, André CourrègesLocated in Antwerp, BEBeautiful vintage black silk boned bustier dress by Courreges Lined, Courrèges size 0 Measurements are taken flat Ua to Ua 15inch/38cm(x2) - Waist 12inch/30,5cm(x2) - Hip17inch/43cm...Category
1960s French Cocktail Dresses
- Yves Saint Laurent "rive gauche" by Yves vintage 1970s green wool dressBy Yves Saint Laurent, Yves Saint Laurent Rive GaucheLocated in Antwerp, BEThis Yves Saint Laurent "rive gauche" A-Iine dress is undeniably stunning, exuding a runway-worthy allure that feels like a direct creation from the latest runway collections. Craft...Category
1960s French Day Dresses
- Plein Sud vintage 1990s long brown wool & elastane batwing sleeves dressBy Plein SudLocated in Antwerp, BE90s Plein Sud dresses exude a timeless coolness and are quite challenging to come across in pristine condition, much like this particular dress. This exquisite piece was crafted in ...Category
1990s Italian Day Dresses
- Chloé vintage circa 2007 embellished black silk dressBy ChloéLocated in Antwerp, BEChloé Paris vintage circa 2007 embellished bodice black silk empire waist dress. Up for auction only once! It's adorable and in perfect beautiful vintage c...Category
Early 2000s French Cocktail Dresses
- Lanvin vintage 1970s silk & linen backless attached bold ribbon ties/bows dressBy Lanvin ParisLocated in Antwerp, BELanvin vintage 70's silk backless with attached ribbon ties or bows dress Fully lined in beautiful and soft golden yellow silk, the outer layer is a black woven silk/linen mix. Frenc...Category
1970s French Cocktail Dresses
- RARE 1980s Ted Lapidus Paris Boutique Floral Haute Couture DressBy Ted LapidusLocated in Scottsdale, AZAmazing 1980s/90s hard to find Ted Lapidus haute couture floral dress! Floral printed cotton with slim fitted bodice and flounce layered ruffle peplum skirt. Halter straps with butto...Category
1980s French Casual Dresses
- John Galliano cream knitted silk 'farmers smock' dress, ss 1986By John GallianoLocated in London, GBJohn Galliano cream knitted silk 'farmer's smock' dress from the 'Fallen Angels' collection Spring-Summer 1986Category
1980s British Day Dresses
- McQ by Alexander McQueen Bicolor Lace Printed Jersey Fitted Dress XSBy McQ Alexander McQueenLocated in Dubai, Al Qouz 2Step out in style when you wear this gorgeous dress from McQ by Alexander McQueen. Crafted from quality cotton fabric, it flaunts lovely hues of cream and black. It is styled simply ...Category
2010s Italian Mini Dresses
- Valentino Beige Embellished Floral Lace Overlay Ruched Sleeveless Dress MBy ValentinoLocated in Dubai, Al Qouz 2Let your closet experience a fabulous addition with this sleeveless dress from Valentino. It has been created with quality materials and styled with a gorgeous floral lace overlay ca...Category
2010s Italian Day Dresses
- Max Mara Light Orange Crepe Gathered Bow Detail Midi Dress LLocated in Dubai, Al Qouz 2This Max Mara dress stands out beautifully. Style this elegant piece with dainty accessories for a unique and attractive look. Designed with a subtle li...Category
2010s Italian Day Dresses
- Alice + Olivia Cream Crochet Anora Maxi Dress MLocated in Dubai, Al Qouz 2This lovely dress by Alice + Olivia is a must-have. Perfect for summer, this crochet dress comes on a stunning shade of cream. It features a simple silhouette with two straps, zip cl...Category
2010s American Maxi 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.