From The Textile Eye Archive - “YSL: Dreams of the Orient”

**In the very first edition of The Textile Eye, we covered the 2018-2019 exhibition entitled Yves Saint Laurent: Dreams of the Orient at the Musée Yves Saint Laurent Paris, which I had the pleasure of seeing while in Paris for Maison et Objet and Paris Deco Off 2019.**

The show brought together approximately fifty haute couture designs inspired by India, China and Japan. These pieces from the collection of the Museum were displayed in dialogue with Asian artworks borrowed from the Musée National des Arts Asiatiques - Guimet, and private collectors, creating a show rich in texture, color, and culture.

Adapted from Report 1 of The Textile Eye Spring 2019: Maison et Objet & Paris Deco Off (originally published March 2019) which is now complimentary to free members.

**Evening Set,** Yves Saint Laurent, 1995

Last year I read Loulou & Yves: The Untold Story of Loulou de La Falaise and the House of Saint Laurent. What a page turner that was! It was a great way to be immersed in the fantastical world of 5 Avenue Marceau–the location of Saint Laurent's haute couture atelier—which is now the setting of the Musée in his honor. I visited the museum this spring while in Paris for Maison et Objet and Paris Deco Off. My favorite part? The final room of the museum, which has been set up exactly as it would have been on a normal work day in the late 1970's. To me it was transporting: as though Yves and Loulou had just left the room for an aperitif or some fantastic party.

The sumptuous exhibit in the prior rooms was equally spellbinding, taking the viewer to three Asian countries, as they existed in the imagination of M. Saint Laurent. China, India, and Japan were ongoing influences in his work (though not his typical travel destinations). The show contextualizes his creations alongside authentic Asian works borrowed from other collections. As in the Japonisme show at the Musée des Arts Decoratifs, we see the significant influence of Asian aesthetics, and the deep impact they had on French design.

Textiles in the show were breathtaking, with rich embellishments: many-hued embroideries, metal threads, beads and sequins adorn silks and laces, all impeccably cut by this master couturier.

Please enjoy a selection of the works below.