Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

September 5, 2008 3:01:29 AM CDT

Learn about Newser Points »

« Back to the grid | Next story »

The Man Who Put Women in Pants

Posted Jun 2, 08 11:29 AM CDT in Arts & Living 

(Newser) – Yves Saint Laurent wasn’t just another designer. The man who died last night at 71 was an icon who forever changed the way women dress, Robin Givhan writes in the Washington Post. Start with this: Saint Laurent put women in pants. His elegant designs let women swagger like men, giving them “the sartorial equivalent of chutzpah.”

That alone would make him historic, but there was much more. "Without Saint Laurent," Givhan notes, "there would arguably be no Marc Jacobs … (and) how would our mind's eye see the authoritative ease expressed by Nancy Pelosi and Hillary Clinton?" Saint Laurent's most important contribution, though, was his “ready to wear” line, which for the first time brought fashion to the masses.

Source Washington Post

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • Vogue 's India Poverty Shoot Pits Couture vs. Culture

    Sep 2, 08 12:07 PM CDT
    Vogue 's India Poverty Shoot Pits Couture vs. Culture Vogue India is taking heat for a haute couture fashion spread that uses poverty-ridden locals for models, the New York Times reports. A toothless, barefoot man holding a $200 Burberry umbrella and a rumpled baby in a $100 Fendi bib are just two examples that have irked some critics in a country where 456 million live on less than $1.25 a day. More »

  • Gossip Girl a Fashion Force

    Jul 8, 08 4:46 PM CDT
    Gossip Girl a Fashion Force CW’s Gossip Girl has enjoyed only so-so ratings in its first year, but it's become a major trend-setter in fashion for young women, the New York Times reports. Retailers say the show, which features rich and preppy teens, has a huge influence on sales, sort of like a Sex and the City for the younger set. In addition, many designers are incorporating the show’s look into their fall lineups. More »

  • Fashion, Politics Unlikely Mix

    Jul 8, 08 2:57 PM CDT
    Fashion, Politics Unlikely Mix Move over, Hollywood—these days, fashion designers are dying to get their wares on a new kind of celebrity: politicians. The last time Carla Bruni and Nicolas Sarkozy visited London, Dior issued no fewer than five press releases on their outfits, and Louis Vuitton has even hired Mikhail Gorbachev as a model. But not everyone thinks the trend is chic, reports W in a look at political stars. More »

  • Yves Saint Laurent Dead at Age 71

    Jun 1, 08 6:23 PM CDT
    Yves Saint Laurent Dead at Age 71 Twentieth-century fashion icon Yves Saint Laurent died today at his home in Paris, AFP reports. The reclusive designer, who was battling illness, said when he retired in 2002 that he had “always given the highest importance of all to respect for this craft, which is not exactly an art, but which needs an artist to exist.” More »

  • 10 Most-Wanted Luxury Brands

    Mar 25, 08 5:01 PM CDT
    10 Most-Wanted Luxury Brands Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates may actually buy the most designer goods, but when money is no object, we’ve all got expensive tastes. One research group asked 25,000 consumers to forget about price tags and name the luxury brand they covet most. Forbes runs down the top 10:

    1. Gucci
    2. Chanel (tied)
    More »

In this Nov. 12, 1965 file photo, French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent, right, laughs with actress-singer Barbra Streisand, backstage at the Winter Garden Theater in New York, Nov. 12, 1965.   (AP Photo)
In this Nov. 1, 1965 file photo, French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent, left, and American actress Shirley MacLaine are shown at a party held in his honor in Hollywood, Ca.   (AP Photo)
This 1985 file picture shows Yves Saint Laurent. The legendary designer died Sunday evening, June 1, 2008.   (AP Photo/File)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Our editors also recommend:

Threads (1 of 2)

Tags

fashion  • fashion designer  • Yves Saint Laurent


Loading...

Premium Articles from HighBeam

Find more articles like this

Today's Most Popular


Other Arts & Living Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Newser gives you more news in less time. We search for the best and most important stories all over the web, read them for you, and deliver concise and sharp summaries—along with links to the full text. Newser provides a way to stay on top of an ever-expanding horizon of news and opinion—politics, sports, business, trends, technology, personalities, crimes, and controversies. Newser keeps you not just better informed, but, with our signature graphic interface and smart condensed format, more enjoyably informed.

Learn more »