During his 40 years of work at his own fashion house of the same name, Yves Saint Laurent repeatedly turned to art. He was interested in painting, dance, poetry and other areas. But the closest thing to the designer was the fine arts. Saint Laurent was a famous collector and was friends with many artists, including Andy Warhol and Bernard Buffet. Therefore, paintings, graphics and other art references appeared in his collections from the 1960s until the designer's last couture show in 2002.
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Yves Saint Laurent worked with various artistic movements. The most famous example is a series of dresses inspired by the works of Piet Mondrian, which the designer showed in the autumn 1965 collection. In 1988, Saint Laurent dedicated a collection to several artists at once, including Georges Braque and Vincent van Gogh. The models' outfits featured the most famous motifs from their works. The designer did not stick to one style or era. In the 1990 couture collection, he turned to the sharp black geometric lines of Bernard Buffet. In 1999, he was inspired by the bright post-impressionism of Pierre Bonnard.
Yves Saint Laurent's successors also turned to art. In 1999, under Alber Elbaz, Mario Sorrenti shot an advertising campaign for Yves Saint Laurent based on famous paintings. Noot Siar recreated the enigmatic smile of Mona Lisa, and Kate Moss reinterpreted Édouard Manet's “Breakfast on the Grass.”
This year's Costume Institute exhibition, Costume Art, and the 2026 Met Gala dress code, Fashion Is Art, are dedicated to the connection between fine art and fashion. Saint Laurent's current creative director, Anthony Vaccarello, is co-chairing the gala. Perhaps he will use this opportunity to continue the great artistic history of the fashion house he leads. Below is a selection of works by artists who inspired Yves Saint Laurent.
Piet Mondrian
“Composition with Red, Yellow and Blue”, 1921, Piet Mondrian
Yves Saint Laurent, 1965
Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture Spring-Summer 2002
Georges Braque
“Birds”, 1952–1953, Georges Braque
Yves Saint Laurent spring-summer 1998
Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture Spring-Summer 2002
Vincent van Gogh
“Irises”, 1889, Vincent van Gogh
“Vase with Fifteen Sunflowers”, 1888, Vincent van Gogh
Yves Saint Laurent spring-summer 1998
Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture Spring-Summer 2002
Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture Spring-Summer 2002
Pierre Bonnard
“Open Door to the Garden”, 1924, Pierre Bonnard
Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture Spring-Summer 2001
Tom Wesselman
Mouth #2, 1966, Tom Wesselman
Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture Spring-Summer 2001
Henri Matisse
“Romanian Blouse”, circa 1940, Henri Matisse
Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture fall-winter 1999/2000
Fernand Leger
“Disc”, 1918, Fernand Leger
Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture Spring-Summer 2002
Pablo Picasso
“Seated Harlequin”, 1923, Pablo Picasso
Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture, 1979
Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture Spring-Summer 2002
Bernard Buffet
Bernard Buffet at the opening of an exhibition in 1966
Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture spring-summer 1990
Based on material from vogue.com