This week we will be launching 60 more items from our huge YSL collection at Modig. Why YSL? Reason number 2000: He was the first couturier to create a ready to wear line in France, and he understood that younger generations defined fashion decades before fashion brands started to recognize the marketable power of "street style!" Yves Saint Laurent was inspired by the carefree attitude of youth and the personalities that developed their own individual styles. We love all of those things about him.
1979 Vintage Yves Saint Laurent Nautical Inspired Runway Trousers
Ready to wear might not be a concept that most people today can fully appreciate. With fast fashion and cheaply made garments being pumped out by the thousands, you might ask why we would ever need a ready to wear line.
1986 Yves Saint Laurent Silk Animal Print Runway Dress
Before 1966, if you couldn't afford to buy couture garments, and most people couldn't, you would buy garments that were created by manufacturers who tried their best to copy the look of couture pieces. Many of these fashion companies would send representatives to Paris to watch the shows and they would frantically sketch what they saw and bring it back for the seamstresses to recreate in a more affordable way. This meant using less expensive fabrics and less details in the clothing. This could take months after the shows themselves.
Yves Saint Laurent 1980's Gold Silk Blouse with Sash
Then, along came Yves Saint Laurent. Because he wanted high style, well made fashion to be available to a younger clientele, on September 19, 1966, Yves Saint Laurent opened his first ready-to-wear boutique in Paris “Saint Laurent Rive Gauche" in a former antique store in the Rive Gauche or "Left Bank" district of Paris. This area was a popular with the bohemian culture that so inspired the designer. With Betty Catroux and Loulou de la Falaise by his side, Saint Laurent also opened a Rive Gauche shop in London in 1969.
Rare Vintage YSL Massive Brown Gold & Blue Statement Necklace
The Rive Gauche line was an huge success, and customers now had access to close to couture quality garments at a fraction of the price. Don't confuse ready to wear with diffusion lines, however, because these pieces were still very expensive. A skirt suit would sell for $4000 in today's economy but that is a fraction of the cost of the tens of thousands spent for a couture suit.
Vintage Yves Saint Laurent Large Gold Plated Cuff Bracelet
This week we are including all Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche pieces because we think they are just about the best made vintage garments on the market. You can see YSL's signature couture elements in even the simplest of pieces from his perfectly made blouses, dresses, jackets, skirts and pants to his absolutely stunning jewelry.
Yves Saint Laurent Vintage Gold Plated Earrings
Because the Modig team is passionate about sustainability, our goal is for everyone to be able to appreciate quality of garments that were made to last. Yves Saint Laurent pieces stand the test of time and were made to be around for decades. We hope that you will give yourself the opportunity to experience the luxury that defined Yves Saint Laurent.
xo
Lisa