The UK's first major retrospective exhibition of Yves Saint Lauren opened last week at The Bowes Museum in County Durham (in the town of Barnard Castle). The museum partnered with Fondation Pierre Bergé Yves Saint Laurent to bag the “Style is Eternal” exhibition, which focuses on the life and work of the famous French designer. It sets out to show his vision, his ambition to dress all women (regardless of class) and the influence his work has had on the way we understand womenswear today. The exhibition's concept was created by French consultancy Agence NC, and led by architect Hélène Lecarpentier and founder and creative director Nathalie Criniere.
The UK's first major retrospective exhibition of Yves Saint Lauren opened last week at The Bowes Museum in County Durham
Yves Saint Laurent's long-term business partner and lover Pierre Bergé, was at the museum for its opening. He said: “Today everyone is talking about gender. Yves decided to pass the power from the men's shoulders to the women's. We never interfered with each other, I never went to his studio. I decided to respect the creation before the business. When we started, Yves and I, the word we never heard was marketing.”
The title of the exhibition is borrowed from the designer's classic quote: “Fashion fades, style is eternal,” and aims to highlight the defining elements of his vision. The show stretches across three rooms and centres on five themes that highlight the designer's influence, creative processes and inspirations - including pieces inspired by artists Georges Braques, Henri Matisse and Vincent Van Gogh. As well as more than 50 garments there are also original sketches, atelier specification sheets, collection boards and an array of accessories such as shoes and jewellery.
The title of the exhibition is borrowed from the designer's classic quote: “Fashion fades, style is eternal”
Garments featured in the exhibition include some iconic pieces from the Russian Collection, the Mondrian dresses and the classic “Le Smoking” Tuxedo; the first tuxedo trouser suit created for women. The show also aims to open up a dialogue with The Bowes Museum’s collection, creating a unique sense of narrative around the history of fashion. It inhabits much of the Museum's first floor, including the award-winning Fashion & Textiles Gallery, which has hosted high profile fashion exhibitions such as Vivienne Westwood Shoes, Stephen Jones Hats, Henry Poole & Co Tailoring, a retrospective of Laura Ashley and most recently “Birds of Paradise: Plumes & Feathers in Fashion.”
Here has designed an accompanying catalogue, which matches the argument, the ambition and aesthetic of the exhibition. The consultancy wanted to create a legitimate souvenir of the exhibition as opposed to an assortment of photographs and information. The “Fashion fades, style is eternal” mantra has been addressed on the front cover through the use of a blind embossed Yves Saint Laurent monogram.
Garments featured in the exhibition include some iconic pieces from the Russian Collection, the Mondrian dresses and the classic “Le Smoking” Tuxedo
The Here designers used mixed colour papers, different textures, exposed sewn binding, and short chapter inserts in the catalogue, which has resulted in quite a beautiful piece of art. The bright pink stitching used in the open binding and end papers is a reference to the faille fabric Zépherine dress, which will be shown for the first time since it was seen at Blenheim Palace in 1958. Here partner and designer Caz Hildebrand said of the catalogue: “Our work is both an homage to and a celebration of an extraordinary designer.”
