Saint Laurent, known worldwide as YSL, is a French luxury fashion house founded in Paris in 1961 by designer Yves Saint Laurent and his business partner Pierre Bergé. Before launching his own house, Saint Laurent had worked at Dior, bringing with him a vision that would redefine modern womenswear. The house's first major ready-to-wear breakthrough came with Saint Laurent Rive Gauche in 1966, marking an important shift toward accessible luxury and casualizing high fashion in ways that still resonate today.
For fans and collectors, the most recognizable Saint Laurent touchpoints include Le Smoking, the revolutionary tuxedo for women that became one of the defining looks of 20th-century fashion, the Safari jacket, and the bold Mondrian-inspired 1965 couture collection. The brand's sleek Parisian eveningwear and its interlocking YSL monogram, created for the house's early identity, remain instantly recognizable symbols of French luxury. Anthony Vaccarello has served as creative director since 2016, continuing to shape the house's contemporary image while the brand remains under the ownership of Kering. Yves Saint Laurent himself is remembered as one of fashion's most influential designers, and the Paris-based house continues to be one of the best-known names in French fashion.