[Gwanghwamunduk's Brand Story] #5. Saint Laurent

Yves Saint Laurent (YSL) was established in 1961 by Yves Henri Donat Mathieu-Saint-Laurent (1936-2008), born in Oran, French Algeria. Considered one of the 20th century's most influential fashion designers, he shook traditional fashion industry conventions and laid the foundation for modern fashion. At 18, he joined Dior as Christian Dior's protégé; when Dior died in 1957, the 21-year-old Saint Laurent became head designer, saving the house with his 1958 "Trapeze" collection — a soft, youth-oriented departure from Dior's New Look.

Key contributions: Le Smoking (1966) — tuxedo suit for women, one of fashion's most radical statements; Mondrian collection (1965) — geometric color-blocking; African collection (1967) — first major designer to champion non-Western aesthetics; Rive Gauche ready-to-wear (1966) — democratized luxury fashion. Saint Laurent was the first designer to feature Black models prominently on the runway and in campaigns. He retired in 2002. The brand was acquired by Gucci Group (now Kering) in 1999. Creative director Hedi Slimane renamed the brand "Saint Laurent Paris" in 2012, shifting to a sleek rock aesthetic; Anthony Vaccarello (2016-present) continues this direction. 2021 annual revenue: approximately 2.52 billion euros globally; Korean subsidiary (입생로랑코리아) approximately 189 billion won. Saint Laurent's enduring legacy: he didn't just design clothes — he changed how women saw themselves, replacing restriction with freedom, and pioneered the concept of "total look" luxury dressing.