Evening ensemble

Design House Yves Saint Laurent French
Designer Yves Saint Laurent French, born Algeria

Not on view

Among the most dramatic pieces from Yves Saint Laurent's fall/winter 1983-84 collection of haute couture is this dramatic coat originally shown over a simple black column. In a direct reference to the voluminous evening coats from the golden age of postwar haute couture, the Saint Laurent version of heavy silk faille merges the sumptuous romanticism of Christian Dior and the sculptural drama of Cristobal Balenciaga. This coat, with its bias collar extending into front ties, may be worn pulled close to the neck, or falling away from the back and shoulders as was preferred by the dégagée client Nan Kempner.

Evening ensemble, Yves Saint Laurent (French, founded 1961), silk, French

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