Review
Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, the text is impressively informed and informative, the photography inherently interesting, and taken as a whole, Yves Saint Laurent's Studio: Mirror and Secrets will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to community and academic library Fashion History reference collections in general, and the supplemental studies reading lists for students of the life and work of Yves Sain Laurent in particular.--Margaret Lane "The Midwest Book Review"
Filled with books, photos, fabric swatches, and a wandering French bulldog, Yves Saint Laurent's studio was a wonderfully chaotic and creative space. Fashion historian Jéromine Savignon's new book (Actes Sud) opens the door into this magical world with some 40 unreleased images, including sketches and photographs of the master at work.--Karin Nelson "W"
In "Yves Saint Laurent's Studio -- Mirror and Secrets," fashion historian Jéromine Savignon follows the process behind the designer's couture collections. Published by Actes Sud, the book comes in both French and in English, and contains around 40 unreleased images -- including sketches and photographs of the designer at work in various studios -- along with quotes from the designer Pierre Bergé. Photographers include Marc Riboud, Jeanloup Sieff and François-Marie Banier.
The author divides the designer's creation process into five acts. "The process is a dogged pursuit of perfection in an almost mute effervescence," according to Savignon.--Laure Guilbault "Women's Wear Daily"
Presented in a modest pocket-sized hard-cover, Yves Saint Laurent's Studio: Mirrors and secrets (Actes Sud) collects intimate snapshots of Saint Laurent the man at work in his storied Paris studio on Avenue Marceau. Archival Photos depict a creative environment in artful and productive states of disarray, filled with sketches, assistants, fabric rolls, and plenty of cigarettes. "I couldn't live without my gypsy atmosphere... I hate a room that looks deserted and sanctified," reads one of the book's many quotes from the designer. "I like a room to be completely anonymous, like a hotel room, or a reflection of a person's most intimate life." Remembrances from passerby, friends and colleagues over the years, including an essay by fashion historian and author Jeromine Savignon, further paint a colorful oral history of the time and space.--Aileen Kwun "Surface Magazine"
Product Description
Saint Laurent was a key artist of the 20th century. Today to many his name evokes the reefer jacket, the trench-coat, the Mondrian dress, the smoking jacket and feminine trouser suits. He is remembered as the man who gave the safari jacket a new lease of life and as the man who stood out from the rest with his famous transparent dresses. The first fashion designer to parade Asian and African models on the catwalk, he also worked in tandem with the theatre and cinema. Furthermore, he was the first leading couturier to lend his name to a pret-à-porter range, Rive Gauche, while maintaining his haute couture activities. But what do we really know about the man beyond his renown? Here, the author opens up the door to Yves Saint Laurent’s studio and invites us into the great creator’s nerve centre, where everything took place, where the work and artist became one. Here we see how Saint Laurent set about his creations, the secrets behind his approach, providing a voyage of initiation through his hideaway where the master alchemist shares his secret formulae.
From the Back Cover
En nous ouvrant les portes de son studio, l'auteur nous invite au coeur de l'esprit de Saint Laurent, là où tout s'est joué, où l'oeuvre mais aussi l'artiste se sont construits.
About the Author
Historienne de la mode, Jéromine Savignon est l'auteur de divers articles et de nombreux ouvrages, parmi lesquels Faiseur de rêves, en collaboration avec Gilles de Bure (Assouline, 2013), Azzaro (Assouline, 2011), Saint Laurent, Rive Gauche. La révolution de l
