Yves Saint Laurent was one of the most influential designers of his time, but he, just like everyone else, had to push through and show his creative style to come out on top.
His father was the president of an insurance company, and his mother did not work. He was not born into money, although there was not a huge shortage of it. He was inspired by fashion at a young age, always wanting to express himself with it. He was given direction from his mother who was the example of pure class. He attended a school for Couture in Algeria where he was born. He realized, shortly after starting, that "learning" how to create and communicate a style would not work. He left the school, and interviewed for a job at the Christian Dior fashion house.
He was smart, able and creative. This was something the Dior fashion house was lacking at the time. He met personally with Dior who hired him on the spot after only spending 15 minutes talking to him. He started working for Dior in 1957. Shortly after starting, Dior said this about him, "After seeing his first collection I know he is the man who could change women's clothes".
Just months after Laurent started working there, the sudden and unexpected death of Dior came. Laurent was then made in charge of all the sketches. This was a huge position as he was indeed in charge of what the line would even look like.
The fashion house was nearing financial ruin at the time. With the death of Dior, no one was certain how the house would survive even one more year. Laurent was the lead designer of the 1958 Dior collection. The entire 1958 collection was a sensation. One item in particular, the trapeze dress, designed by Laurent, quickly became the newest fashion trend.
Laurent's designs were meticulous and perfectly proportioned as Dior's designs had been. Some argued that Laurent's were actually better as he introduced softer, lighter and easier to wear clothing. Through that one collection alone, the Dior fashion house was saved. The lines from then on were more daring and bold. Laurent loved the "Beat" look of 1950's and 1960's rock and roll. The president at the time was furious. Laurent was not supposed to become so internationally looked up to. The Dior fashion house had the name on all the designs, but people fell in love with Laurent.
When Laurent was drafted into the French war in 1960, the management of the Dior fashion house raised no objection and sent him away. Laurent lasted 20 days in the war, but quickly became too traumatized by the death and destruction of war, that he quickly found himself in the French Mental Hospital being treated for a nervous breakdown by psychiatrists. The treatment he received included brain shock therapy and electric shock treatment, aided his death years later.
As he had proven to be of no help to the army, he was released in 1962. He went back to Dior to continue on his path of designing, but was let go shortly after returning as he continued to have nervous breakdowns.
