"Yves Saint Laurent: The Retrospective" Shows Timeless Modernity

Style is sparking at the Denver Art Museum. “Yves Saint Laurent: The Retrospective” takes museum goers on a creative journey that revolutionized fashion. Over 200 original haute couture outfits are displayed and leave no room to wonder why Saint Laurent dominated the fashion world. His bold statements still speak today.

“You may not own clothes with Yves Saint Laurent labels, but you likely own clothes inspired by him. Whether it be a safari jacket or a pant suit,” says spokeswoman of the DAM, Ashley Pritchard.

The collection debuted in Paris in 2010 and also saw a successful showing in Madrid. Keeping the momentum rolling, this is the largest collection of Saint Laurent’s designs to make it across the pond. Christoph Heinrich, museum director, was instrumental in bringing the collection to Denver. His eye for style has not gone unnoticed. As Denver locals and visitors alike appreciate the collection,

The retrospective makes exploring over 40 years of Saint Laurent’s designs feel more like a real-life documentary. The show does not limit itself to the display of garments; you will also be engaged with sketches, photos, films and interviews. Saint Laurent brought more than just designs to the fashion world, he was an innovator ahead of his time.

Yves Saint Laurent broke the barriers of fashion in several ways. He wasn’t shy about shaking up the codes of wardrobe for women by dipping into men’s style. Before long, women were wearing pant suits, trench coats and pea coats. He also dared to use bold colors and developed color blocking. For the first time the fashion world saw adventurous color combinations like reds and pinks and blues and yellows. Yves Saint Laurent was also the first to use models of all ethnicity’s on the runway.

Saint Laurent gained inspiration for his designs across countries. Despite not being an avid traveler he was able to jet set the world through books, his imagination and movies. Inspiration from Russia, Japan, China, Spain and India are woven into his creations.

“Yves Saint Laurent: The Retrospective” runs through July 8 at the Denver Art Museum.
100 W. 14th Avenue Parkway.  

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To purchase tickets visit YSLdenver.com

**Don’t forget to stop at Fashion Studio to get hands on. You can design dresses on dress forms, take to the runway with the latest fashion and create your own sketches. On weekends you can find local fashion designers give demonstrations and answer questions. The fashion studio will be open until September 2nd.