Countless designers have costumed stars for the big screen, but few were as prolific as the formidable Yves Saint Laurent.
Over the course of four decades, the couturier dressed the likes of Catherine Deneuve, Jean Seberg, Claudia Cardinale, and Romy Schneider in subversive vinyl trench coats and frothy cocktail dresses in the works of Francois Truffaut, Luis Bunuel, and Claude Chabrolhis striking creations frequently stealing the spotlight from the luminous leading ladies who sported them.
Its fitting, then, that Saint Laurents current creative director, Anthony Vaccarello, is honoring this legacy withSaint Laurent Productions, a film production company that is the first of its kind to be run by a luxury maison, and aims to roll out bold, experimental new releases featuring costumes created by Vaccarello himself.
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Last spring saw the premiere of the studios first finished projectPedro Almodovars ravishing queer western,Strange Way of Life, starring Pedro Pascal and Ethan Hawkeat theCannes Film Festival, while this year, a trio of releases follow in its footsteps: Jacques Audiards surreal, Selena Gomez-led musicalEmilia Perez; David Cronenbergs latest arthouse horror,The Shrouds; and Paolo Sorrentinos Naples-setParthenope.
Here, we look back at some of the most memorable Saint Laurent looks on film, fromBelle de Jours deceptively prim peacoats to the puff-sleeved, tulle-lined showstoppers worn by Isabelle Adjani in Luc Bessons 1980s thrillerSubway.
The Pink Panther(1963)
Colin Gordon, Capucine, Peter Sellers, and Claudia Cardinale inThe Pink Panther.
Colin Gordon, Capucine, Peter Sellers, and Claudia Cardinale inThe Pink Panther.
In Blake Edwardss exuberant romp following a princess in exile and the suave jewel thief whos on her tail, the elegant cocktail dresses and extravagantly bejeweled ball gowns belonging to both Claudia Cardinales elusive heiress and Capucines philandering wife come courtesy of Saint Laurent.
When they head to the Alps, there are excellent apres-ski looks, too, from cozy knits and cigarette trousers to elaborate hats paired with sleek jackets.
Belle de Jour(1967)
The glossy vinyl coat; the black minidress with the satin collar and cuffs; the pristine tennis whiteevery single look seen on Catherine Deneuves delicate and impossibly seductive Severine in Luis Bunuels era-defining drama is spectacular.
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Saint Laurents meticulously designed wardrobe for the dissatisfied housewife whose desires are unleashed when she begins working in a brothel is by turns angelic and thrillingly kinky, capturing the dangerous duality of her double life.
Most startlingly of all, though, each piece looks as modern today as it did more than five decades ago.
La Chamade(1968)
The designer outfitted the screen legend once again for Alain Cavaliers sweeping tale of a flighty mistress whos torn between her influential patron and a young idealist.
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Galavanting around Paris while dressed in buttery trench coats, roll necks, and plaid skirts, her hair tied back with a black ribbon, Deneuves Lucile combines glamour and poise with a hint of girlish frivolity.
This is epitomized by the printed silk shirt dress with a giant pussy bow that she chooses for a stylish cocktail party, instantly recognizable in a sea of almost identical, boxy, block-colored frocks.
Mississippi Mermaid(1969)
Taken from Saint Laurents Rive Gauche spring 1968 collection, Deneuves refined yet dramatic ensembles for Francois Truffauts beguiling crime saga establish her as a quietly powerful femme fatale.
They initiate the gamut from ruffled florals with a sculptural hat to a sequined bodysuit cut to the navel as she goes on the runa mail-order bride who steals millions from her new husband (Jean-Paul Belmondo), disappears, and then later resurfaces as a nightclub dancer in Antibes.
Even when he finally tracks her down, she manages to turn the tables, dazzling him with her charms as well as her outfits.
Max and the Junkmen(1971)
With her roster of jewel-toned velvet dresses, matching ribbons tied around her neck, sheer tights, Mary Janes, and a PVC coat to rival Belle de Jours, its impossible to take your eyes off Romy Schneiders Lily, the lover of a small-time crook who becomes embroiled in his schemes, in Claude Sautets tense noir.
Her looks are quintessential Saint Laurent: sumptuous, structured, sexy, and designed to be worn while wafting through crowded parties with a cigarette holder in hand.
Subway(1985)
Luc Bessons action-packed nerve-jangler about a punkish thief (Christopher Lambert) trying to win the affection of an unhappy trophy wife (Isabelle Adjani) in the bowels of the Paris Metro sees the latter sport some sharp, hard-shouldered Saint Laurent suiting.
But its her black tulle ensemble thats guaranteed to make your jaw drop: layers of ruffles atop a grey taffeta full skirt, finished off with diamond bracelets, gigantic face-framing earrings, and a spiky bob.
Even in this surreal subterranean world, with all of its wildly eccentric characters, no one can compete with her.
