Monday, June 02, 2008

RIP YSL

Yves Saint Laurent has died. He was famed for inventing black tie for women which he introduced in 1966. Known as "Le Smoking", it was famously worn by Lauren Bacall. New York socialite Nan Kempner created a scandal when she tried to wear the outfit at La Cote Basque restaurant in Manhattan in 1968. The maitre d' told her she couldn't dine wearing trousers so she promptly took them off and proceeded to dine in the (reasonably long) jacket.

3 Comments:

Blogger kinglear said...

Ah - the 60s. Those were the days.

8:59 am  
Blogger Welshcakes Limoncello said...

I didn't know that story before, WW. Thank you.

2:55 pm  
Blogger Unknown said...

Not being a fashion diva I had heard of YSL but he was an institution to me rather than a rule-breaker (does that make sense). I am fascinated by the impact that he made on womens fashion (and yes I am a pants and jacket kinda girl ironically) and all of the stories that have come out since his passing. Thanks for adding to my knoweldge of the man and the era WW.

8:22 pm  

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