YVES SAINT LAURENT: THE BIOGRAPHY by Laurence Benaïm
YVES SAINT LAURENT: THE BIOGRAPHY by Laurence Benaïm, March 2019 /Hardcover /$45.00 / 978-0-8478-6339-6 / 6″ x9″ / 544 pages / Rizzoli Ex Libris
The first major English-language biography of YSL since his death in 2008, this biography features exclusive interviews of those who knew him best, by one of the most respected names in French fashion journalism. This is the definitive portrait of the creative genius who transformed fashion
Yves Saint Laurent’s impact on fashion is legendary, yet he remains an enigmatic and compelling figure. Tracing the development of Saint Laurent’s visionary work through his charmed yet tumultuous life, respected fashion writer Laurence Benaïm’s newly translated and updated biography of the famed designer explores how this unassuming prodigy became a legendary icon who changed the face of fashion, style, and celebrity.
Enriched by the author’s exclusive interviews—from Saint Laurent’s partner Pierre Bergé to family members, his atelier staff, and muses such as Catherine Deneuve, Loulou de la Falaise, and Paloma Picasso—this fascinating biography chronicles early glimpses of Saint Laurent’s talent in Oran, Algeria and his trajectory, from leading the House of Dior at the age of twenty-one to his fall from grace and subsequent alliance with Pierre Bergé, fashion’s most enduring and successful professional partnership.
In portraying the man behind timeless couture icons like the Mondrian-print shift dress and the Le Smoking trouser suit—who partied with Warhol in New York and relaxed with the jet set in his Marrakesh hideaway—Benaïm powerfully illuminates both the glittering world of haute couture and the business empire that revolutionized the fashion industry.
Journalist and fashion writer Laurence Benaïm has written many books including Lancel: Parisian Maison Since 1876, Women in Dior: Portraits of Elegance, and Dior: The New Look Revolution. She created the style supplement for the newspaper Le Monde and has contributed to Vogue and Marie Claire. She is an editorial adviser for Le Figaro.
