One of Yves Saint Laurent’s most daring pieces, the iconic tuxedo,le smoking, made its first appearance in the designer’s Autumn-Winter 1966 haute couture show. The appropriation of the most formal piece of menswear as a possible replacement to the evening gown, a staple of elegant woman’s wear, was at once shocking and lauded.
Each season, Stefano Pilati carries le smoking to new heights through reinterpreting it for the contemporary woman. Pilati plays with silhouette, details and fabric to create something that is rooted in the classic, but uniquely current.
After the great success of the le smoking tuxedo a year earlier, the appearance of a pant suit opening the Yves Saint Laurent 1967 Spring-Summer runway show presented the notion of the menswear inspired piece to be worn both day and night.
In the 1940s, style icons and screen legends Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich were seen donning the practical, menswear staple, trench coat, but in 1962 Yves Saint Laurent paired the outerwear item with an evening dress to create a striking contrast in his Autumn-Winter show. While the show hinted at the possibility of a utilitarian garment being used formally for evening, it was the appearance of a patent leather YSL trench in the 1966 film Belle Du Jour starring Catherine Deneuve that solidified the piece as a versatile and feminine staple of Parisian bourgeoisie style.
Experimenting with length, textiles and details, Stefano Pilati’s incarnations of the timeless classic pay homage to trench coat’s heritage while continuously being updated to fit today’s woman.
The utilitarian safari jacket exhibits an air of exploration and new frontiers. The romanticized nature of the jacket coupled with its precise tailoring and clean lines made it an alluring item that has appeared in many variations on the Yves Saint Laurent’s runway since 1966.
Stefano Pilati has taken the iconic safari jacket and translated it into pieces ranging from gabardine dresses to Bermuda shorts to jumpsuits without loosing the garment’s notes of heritage. He has created items that exhibit functionality yet remain timeless items for the sophisticated urban safari.
THE SAFARI JACKET
The timeless Caban was presented in the first Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture show in the summer of 1962. Paired with white pants, the jacket remained true to its masculine, sailor heritage while exhibiting feminine couture details like over-sized, gold-toned buttons and mid-thigh grazing length.
The juxtaposition of the straight lines of the classic men’s shirt with the soft curves of a woman’s body is at the center of the iconic Yves Saint Laurent shirtdress. In true YSL form, the modest silhouette subtly hints at seduction by blurring gender lines. It is once the garment is in motion that the expertise in cut and the selection of fabric reveals a dress that moves in a manner that gently caresses and flatters the female form.
The platform shoe has long been a hallmark of the house of Saint Laurent. Inspired by women’s newfound freedom during the 1930s and 1940s, Saint Laurent added a decidedly seductive, bohemian flair to an already dramatic accessory.
Stefano Pilati’s renditions of the platform sandal are a union of luxurious materials, aesthetic beauty and architectural-like construction. The shoe’s comfort and ability to create a lengthening silhouette have made them one of fashion’s most sought after staples.
