The Tamesis
During the 40 years that Yves Saint Laurent has been at the helm of his eponymous brand, the designer has drawn inspiration from a variety of arts: painting, dance and poetry among them. But Saint Laurent—a renowned collector and friend of many artists, including Andy Warhol and Bernard Buffett—had a particular affinity for visual media, and fine art references emerged from the 1960s to his final fashion show in 2002.
Saint Laurent referenced a range of artistic movements in his work. Perhaps he is best known for his collection of Piet Mondrian-style dresses, which he showed on the fall 1965 runway. In 1988, he paid homage to a range of artists, including Georges Broque and Vinvent van Gogh, whose best-known patterns adorned the bodies of his models. The designer didn’t shy away from any movement: He borrowed Buffett’s no-nonsense black geometric lines for his spring 1990 collection, and in 1999 he embraced Pierre Bonnard’s colorful Post-Impressionism. In another example, he combined his love of art and dance, using costumes by Pablo Picasso in Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballet Russes production. procession Inspiration for his ugly dress.
Saint Laurent’s successors shared his passion for art. In 1999, under the leadership of Alber Elbaz, Mario Sorrenti shot a campaign inspired by famous paintings; Notcier did his best Mona Lisa Smile while Kate Moss opens the script Lunch on the grass.
This year’s Costume Institute exhibition, “The Art of Costume,” and its accompanying 2026 Met Gala dress code, “Fashion as Art,” have a special focus on the intersection of fine art and fashion. Saint Laurent’s current creative director Anthony Vaccarello, who serves as co-chairman of the organizing committee, may use this moment to add to his brand’s rich artistic history.
Here, visit the artists who inspired Yves Saint Laurent.
Piet Mondrian
