Yves Saint Laurent Exhibit At Galeri Petronas

An exhibition of photographs by distinguished photographer Pierre Boulat tracing French designer Yves Saint Laurent’s career is in Kuala Lumpur. In conjunction with the Le French Festival, the exhibit will carry on till June 25 2016, open every single day except on Mondays at Galeri Petronas. Pierre Boulat maintained a very close relationship with Yves Saint Laurent throughout the years, which gave him unrestricted access not only backstage, but also within the intimacy of the designer’s Paris home.

Yves Saint Laurent was best known as a significant European fashion designer who impacted fashion in the 1960s to even the present day. In 1966 he launched his own fashion label where his variations of tuxedos for women garnered him international recognition. He died in Paris on June 1 2008 due to brain cancer.

The photos are taken from the archives of Boulat, and highlights the beginning of Monsieur Saint Laurent’s career in 1961 where Pierre spent five weeks documenting the couturier’s preparation for his first ever fashion show. The series of 49 vintage black and white photos will allow viewers to get an intimate behind-the-scenes look at what went on offstage on the day of the fashion show, as shot by Boulat. The unique pictures depict Yves Saint Laurent at work, the type of preparation he put into his designs, adjusting the final details of his show and drawing sessions, even his quiet time spent working on his own.

Hosted as part of Le French Festival 2016, Malaysia’s annual celebration of all things related to French arts and culture, the YSL exhibition is one of the many stimulating French-themed experiences that you get to indulge in, and for this exhibition, admission is free.

“Fashion fades, style is eternal” - Yves Saint Laurent

by: Adeline Tan