Honestly, if you look at a photo of Yves Saint Laurent in his early Paris years—all thick glasses and shy smiles—you wouldn’t immediately peg him as a revolutionary. But he was. He didn't just design clothes; he basically rewrote the rules for how women move through the world. Most people think he just sat in a Parisian atelier and dreamed up pretty things, but the real story is way more interesting.
The truth is, yves saint laurent influenced by sources far beyond the borders of France. We're talking about a guy who grew up in Oran, Algeria, and later found his soul in the dusty, vibrant streets of Marrakech. He was a sponge. He soaked up everything from student riots on the Left Bank to the brushstrokes of Piet Mondrian.
He didn't just "get inspired." He took these things and made them part of his DNA.
The Moroccan Jolt: "Before Marrakech, Everything Was Black"
It’s a famous quote for a reason. In 1966, Yves and his partner Pierre Bergé stepped off a plane in Morocco. It was raining. Most people would’ve turned around, but for Yves, it was a "jolt." It changed everything.
You see, before this trip, his palette was... well, very French. Chic, sure, but a bit muted. Morocco exploded that. He started seeing colors he’d never dared to use together: pinks next to oranges, turquoises meeting deep purples. He famously said that the city taught him color.
He wasn't just looking at the scenery, though. He was looking at the people. He saw how Moroccan men and women wore caftans and jellabas—clothes that were loose, comfortable, and somehow still incredibly elegant. He realized that fashion didn't have to be a corset. It could be a breeze. This is where his obsession with fluidity started.
He and Bergé eventually bought the Jardin Majorelle to save it from being turned into a hotel. Today, it’s a pilgrimage site. If you ever go, you'll see "Majorelle Blue," that intense cobalt that became a YSL signature. It’s a color that feels alive.
The Street and the "Beatnik" Scandal
Back in Paris, things were getting messy. The late 50s and early 60s were a time of massive cultural shifts. While the old guard at Dior (where Yves was the young "Dauphin") wanted to keep things polite and bourgeois, Yves was looking out the window.
He was watching the youth. The "Beatniks."
In 1960, he presented a collection for Dior that featured black crocodile leather jackets trimmed in mink and black turtlenecks. The couture crowd hated it. They thought it was "seedy" and low-brow. They wanted ball gowns, and he gave them the street.
- The "Chicago" Jacket: A high-fashion take on a motorcycle jacket.
- The "Beat" Look: Heavy use of black, knits, and a defiant lack of "pretty" ornamentation.
This was a massive turning point. It showed that he was more interested in what real people were doing than what high society deemed "appropriate." This rebellious streak is what eventually led him to leave Dior and start his own house. He wanted to dress the woman who walked, worked, and—heaven forbid—protested.
Art on the Runway: Mondrian and Beyond
You can't talk about what yves saint laurent influenced by without talking about his obsession with art. He was a collector, but he also used the runway as his canvas.
In 1965, he dropped the "Mondrian" collection.
It was a stroke of genius. He took Piet Mondrian's grid-like, primary-color paintings and turned them into shift dresses. But here’s the thing: they weren’t just printed fabrics. Each block of color was a separate piece of wool, expertly seamed together to look seamless. It was a technical nightmare but a visual masterpiece.
He did the same with:
- Pop Art: Paying homage to Tom Wesselmann.
- Surrealism: Taking cues from Elsa Schiaparelli and her work with Cocteau.
- African Art: His 1967 collection used shells, wooden beads, and raffia in a way couture had never seen.
The Gender Blur: Le Smoking and the Safari Jacket
Maybe his biggest legacy is how he took "masculine" clothes and made them the ultimate feminine power move.
In 1966, he introduced Le Smoking. It was a tuxedo for women. At the time, this was genuinely shocking. Women were actually turned away from restaurants for wearing it. But Yves saw the future. He knew that a woman in a perfectly tailored suit had a different kind of power than a woman in a gown.
Then came the Saharienne, or the Safari Jacket, in 1968. He took a utilitarian uniform worn by men in the bush and turned it into something incredibly chic and adventurous. It was about freedom. Freedom of movement, freedom of identity.
Why This Still Matters Today
Kinda wild to think about, but most of what we wear today—trench coats, pea coats, blazers—was popularized or perfected by Saint Laurent. He wasn't trying to be "exotic" for the sake of it. He was looking for a new language of beauty that wasn't tied to the past.
If you’re looking to bring a bit of that YSL energy into your own life, you don't need a vintage couture budget. It’s more about the mindset.
How to Channel the Saint Laurent Aesthetic:
- Embrace the Contrast: Don't be afraid to mix "high" and "low." Wear a structured blazer with beat-up jeans.
- Own the Color: If you're used to wearing black (we all are), try one "insolent" color choice. A pop of orange or a deep Moroccan blue.
- Tailoring is King: A suit that fits perfectly is worth ten trendy outfits. It’s about the silhouette.
- Look to Art: Next time you're stuck for an outfit, look at a painting. See how the colors interact.
Saint Laurent’s work wasn’t just about the fabric; it was about the "jolt." He wanted people to feel something. Whether it was the shock of a sheer blouse or the comfort of a caftan, he was always chasing that feeling of liberation.
Next time you see a woman in a tuxedo or a bold, color-blocked dress, you’re seeing the ghost of those influences. He took the world and put it on a hanger, and honestly, fashion has been trying to catch up ever since.
Your next move? Take a closer look at your own wardrobe. Identify one piece that feels "safe" and try to style it with something that feels a bit more "rebellious"—just like Yves would have done.
