Search the Collection

Yves Saint Laurent

(1936-2008), Couturier

Sitter in 2 portraits
Born in Oran, French Algeria, Saint Laurent started his career in fashion early. In 1953 he won a fashion contest and travelled to Paris for the awards ceremony. Here he met the editor of French Vogue Magazine whose advice he followed to study haute couture. Upon graduating he began work for the House of Christian Dior. A year later, Dior died at the age of 52 and he succeeded him and became head designer. In 1983, Saint Laurent became the first living fashion designer to be given a solo exhibition by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He died in Paris in 2008 of brain cancer and his ashes were scattered in the Marjorelle Gardens, Marrakech, a place beloved to him which he often went to find refuge and inspiration.

Watch a film clip on the sitter from the BBC Archive in the Media section below

Tell us More

List Thumbnail

Yves Saint Laurent

by Patrick Lichfield
giclée colour print, 1969
NPG x128495

Yves Saint Laurent; Loulou de la Falaise

by Norman Parkinson
C-type colour print, 1974
NPG x30157

Groups

Places

Media

Tell us more back to top

Can you tell us more about this person? Spotted an error, information that is missing (a sitter’s life dates, occupation or family relationships, or a date of portrait for example) or do you know anything that we don't know? If you have information to share please complete the form below.

If you require information from us, please use our Archive enquiry service. You can buy a print of most illustrated portraits. Select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Buy a Print button. Prices start at £6 for unframed prints, £25 for framed prints. If you wish to license an image, please use our Rights and Images service.

Please note that we cannot provide valuations.

We digitise over 8,000 portraits a year and we cannot guarantee being able to digitise images that are not already scheduled.

* What can you tell us? (Help)

There are occasions when we are unsure of the identity of a sitter or artist, their life dates, occupation or have not recorded their family relationships. Sometimes we have not recorded the date of a portrait. Do you have specialist knowledge or a particular interest about any aspect of the portrait or sitter or artist that you can share with us? We would welcome any information that adds to and enhances our information and understanding about a particular portrait, sitter or artist.

Citation (Help)

How do you know this? Please could you let us know your source of information.

* Permission to publish (Privacy information)

The National Portrait Gallery will NOT use your information to contact you or store for any other purpose than to investigate or display your contribution. By ticking permission to publish you are indicating your agreement for your contribution to be shown on this collection item page. Please note your email address will not be displayed on the page nor will it be used for any marketing material or promotion of any kind.

Please ensure your comments are relevant and appropriate. Your contributions must be polite and with no intention of causing trouble. All contributions are moderated.

Denied Granted

* Your name (Why?)

* Email (Why?)

Contributions are moderated. We'll need your email address so that we can follow up on the information provided and contact you to let you know when your contribution has been published.

Tell us more

Can you tell us more about this person?

Yves Saint Laurent

Thanks for Liking