Dress thumbnail 1

Dress

Dress
1986
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Animal print, particularly leopard print, was a recurring motif used throughout Saint Laurent's couture and ready-to- wear collections of the 1980s. Here, a more literal iteration of the 1980s trend for leopard print is presented; this version includes the leopard's face, torso and paws, positioned purposefully around the body. The dress was presented as part of the Autumn-Winter 1986 Rive Gauche ready-to-wear collection, which featured many garments using the same print.

Yves Saint Laurent began his career at the house of Dior. After fighting in the Algerian War, Saint Laurent opened his own fashion house in 1962 with his business partner Pierre Bergé. This dress comes from his Rive Gauche ready-to-wear line which was launched in 1966 and sold in his own franchised chain of boutiques. The first Rive Gauche shop opened on the left bank of the River Seine in Paris in 1966, to great success. Offering ready-to-wear at more affordable prices than Saint Laurent's couture designs, slightly lower quality fabrics were used to ensure that the garments remained within the Rive Gauche price range.

Promoting a more democratised approach to fashion, the Rive Gauche line sought to overhaul the outmoded 'total' looks of couture, bringing high fashion to a wider audience through mix-and-match pieces that encouraged experimentation and personalisation. Rive Gauche separates, such as trousers, blouses and skirts, could be combined with other garments that were less (or more) expensive, allowing women to create a wardrobe of 'essentials' that suited their individual tastes and budgets. Legitimising ready-to-wear as a credible arena for high fashion - without a couture price-tag - Saint Laurent set a precedent which many fashion houses of his era followed.

Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleDress
Materials and techniques
Silk
Brief description
Evening dress, silk, Yves Saint Laurent, France, A/W 1986.
Physical description
Floor-length evening dress, with shoulder pads, detachable scarf, and side leg slit. The dress is constructed from silk printed with a leopard skin pattern. The high, slash neckline features a detachable scarf, styled on the catwalk over the shoulder, trailing loose behind the model. To the right hip, a loose bow is tied, highlighting the high leg slit it surmounts.

Dimensions
  • Length: 150cm
  • Chest circumference: 74cm
Credit line
Given by Jill Ritblat
Summary
Animal print, particularly leopard print, was a recurring motif used throughout Saint Laurent's couture and ready-to- wear collections of the 1980s. Here, a more literal iteration of the 1980s trend for leopard print is presented; this version includes the leopard's face, torso and paws, positioned purposefully around the body. The dress was presented as part of the Autumn-Winter 1986 Rive Gauche ready-to-wear collection, which featured many garments using the same print.

Yves Saint Laurent began his career at the house of Dior. After fighting in the Algerian War, Saint Laurent opened his own fashion house in 1962 with his business partner Pierre Bergé. This dress comes from his Rive Gauche ready-to-wear line which was launched in 1966 and sold in his own franchised chain of boutiques. The first Rive Gauche shop opened on the left bank of the River Seine in Paris in 1966, to great success. Offering ready-to-wear at more affordable prices than Saint Laurent's couture designs, slightly lower quality fabrics were used to ensure that the garments remained within the Rive Gauche price range.

Promoting a more democratised approach to fashion, the Rive Gauche line sought to overhaul the outmoded 'total' looks of couture, bringing high fashion to a wider audience through mix-and-match pieces that encouraged experimentation and personalisation. Rive Gauche separates, such as trousers, blouses and skirts, could be combined with other garments that were less (or more) expensive, allowing women to create a wardrobe of 'essentials' that suited their individual tastes and budgets. Legitimising ready-to-wear as a credible arena for high fashion - without a couture price-tag - Saint Laurent set a precedent which many fashion houses of his era followed.
Associated object
T.187-2011 (Ensemble)
Other number
216 - Ritblat catalogue
Collection
Accession number
T.188-2011

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdSeptember 21, 2011
Record URL
Download as: JSON