A Gallery of YSL Exhibit: The Perfection of Style
The anticipation of YSL: The Perfection Of Style exhibit has finally opened at the SAM (Seattle Art Museum) this week. The fashion obsessed would understand how elated I was to attend.
I have been to many art museums with fashion galleries and this was definitely on top of my of list as one of the best. In 2015, I attended the YSL + Halston exhibition at Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC, so I had an idea of what pieces will be displayed. However, this time around, I was interested in learning more about Yves Saint Laurent, the couturier. This exhibit devoted and celebrated the designer’s 44 year career, by curating a collection from Fondation Pierre Berge – Yves Saint Laurent, with paper couture doll dresses to his last collection in 2002. A breath of 100+ beautiful garments and accessories were curated thoughtfully from concept inspirations, sketches, fabric selections, “toile” fittings to final production, all dedicated into this one place. It was a celebration of his life time achievements.
Extra bonus features of Andy Warhol artwork were displayed with the garments, including a self portrait of YSL himself.
Walking through the gallery, it reminded myself of why I wanted to be a fashion designer. I was reliving how I was inspired to study fashion design, when I first visited the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, many years ago. It gave me new appreciations on how garments are created with all the work and time focusing on the perfection of each piece. These days, fashion does not have the same recognition, as it had in the past. Fast fashion has taken over and telling consumers to consume instead of appreciating quality.
For the city of Seattle, this is considered to be an honor in having an elite designer show their history of work. This city hasn’t been known for being the leader of fashion. It proves to show that the fashion scene is moving towards the direction. Whether you’re visiting Seattle or love the arts, I highly recommend attending the exhibit, which will be shown at the SAM until January 8th 2017.
The Foundation Pierre Berge – Yves Saint Laurent will open Musee Yves Saint Laurent Paris by Fall 2017 in the designer’s former couture house in Paris, dedicating exclusively his 44 years of work. He is the only designer who archived his original sketches, photographs, accessories and fashion boards. I can’t wait to visit next year.
Fashion fades, style is eternal.
-Yves Saint Laurent
Have you visited the exhibit? If so, please let me know your thoughts in below comments.
Photo credits: Sarah Berends
