Yves Saint Laurent
Ensemble: Jacket, skirt, corselet, belt, and necklace
Black cotton
Circa 1976, France
Gift of Marina Schiano, 81.1.119
RIGHT:
Rive Gauche (Yves Saint Laurent)
Dress and overskirt
Black and red silk chiffon
1977, France
Gift of Marina Schiano, 83.190.40
Yves Saint Laurent’s collections of the late 1970s were some of his most artistic and luxurious. Elegant ethnic-inspired looks such as these helped to reassert Saint Laurent’s status as a leader of high style; they also brought a sense of folklore and fantasy back into fashion.
Both of these ensembles were worn by Marina Schiano, a former model who then worked as the American director of Yves Saint Laurent. She also acted as a muse to the designer. Schiano became a successful stylist for Vanity Fair in the 1980s, and her strong sense of personal style was often lauded in the fashion press.