YSL

Corporate brand

French luxury fashion house founded by Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé, recognized for modernizing haute couture and making previously masculine codes central to womenswear.

Last updated October 7, 2026

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Overview

Yves Saint Laurent is a French luxury fashion house whose origins lie in the partnership between designer Yves Saint Laurent and entrepreneur Pierre Bergé. The business was established in 1961 after Saint Laurent's departure from Dior and presented its first collection in 1962. Although the supplied Wikipedia subject is the designer Yves Saint Laurent rather than a separate corporate-history article, the designer's career is inseparable from the development of the eponymous label. Saint Laurent was born in Oran, Algeria, in 1936 and became interested in costume and fashion while still a child. He won the International Wool Secretariat competition in 1954 and, after encouragement from Vogue France editor Michel de Brunhoff, joined Christian Dior in 1955. Following Dior's death in 1957, the 21-year-old Saint Laurent became the house's artistic director. His first Dior collection introduced the Trapeze line, a softer, flaring silhouette that departed from the tightly controlled proportions associated with Dior's postwar New Look. His later work became more experimental, and his 1960 Beat-inspired collection proved controversial. During military service in 1960, he suffered a severe mental-health crisis and was dismissed by Dior. Bergé helped him recover and organized the legal and financial steps that enabled the creation of the new house. The early Saint Laurent collections established a design language combining couture technique with youthful, practical and culturally current clothing. The house translated elements associated with menswear, military dress, travel and popular culture into women's fashion. Pea coats, safari jackets, trousers, leather, knitwear and thigh-high boots became recurring references. The 1965 Mondrian collection demonstrated Saint Laurent's ability to turn modern art into commercially legible fashion, while the 1966 Le Smoking tuxedo challenged conventional distinctions between masculine and feminine evening dress. In the same period, the house opened the Rive Gauche ready-to-wear business, helping make designer fashion more accessible and giving Saint Laurent a direct relationship with younger consumers. The label expanded beyond clothing into accessories, fragrances, cosmetics and other luxury categories. Its fragrance business became particularly important, with products such as Opium, Paris, Black Opium and Y. Handbags, shoes, small leather goods, jewelry, eyewear and beauty products broadened the brand's commercial reach while retaining the house's association with Parisian glamour and a slightly rebellious attitude. Saint Laurent also designed costumes for performers and films, including work associated with Catherine Deneuve. Saint Laurent and Bergé ended their romantic relationship in 1976 but remained business partners. Saint Laurent continued to produce haute couture even as ready-to-wear became economically and culturally more influential. His Russian Peasant collection of 1976 and broad-shouldered tailoring of the late 1970s were among the period's most influential presentations. Personal difficulties, including substance dependence and deteriorating health, increasingly affected his ability to work. He presented his final couture collection in 2002 and died in Paris in 2008. The modern business has continued under the Saint Laurent name as part of Kering. The house is positioned at the high end of global luxury, with collections spanning women's and men's ready-to-wear, leather goods, footwear, jewelry, eyewear, fragrance and cosmetics. Its identity combines French couture heritage, sharp tailoring, art and cultural references, and a controlled form of provocation. The designer remains central to the brand's historical narrative, while current operations are conducted by the corporate house rather than by Saint Laurent personally.

History

Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé founded the house in Paris in 1961 after Saint Laurent’s period as Christian Dior’s leading designer. The new maison quickly established a reputation for refined construction combined with designs that reflected changing social attitudes. Its 1966 Rive Gauche line was especially important because it treated ready-to-wear as a serious designer proposition rather than merely a lower-priced alternative to couture. The house became associated with tailored women’s suits, the tuxedo, safari styling, transparent blouses, strong color and a deliberate dialogue between masculine and feminine dress. During the following decades, Saint Laurent developed beyond couture. The brand added men’s and women’s ready-to-wear, accessories and fragrances, while its beauty business became an important commercial extension. Fragrance and cosmetics broadened the audience and created a more scalable international business than couture alone. By the early 1990s, however, the group was under financial pressure and its profitability and market position had weakened. In 1993, Groupe Yves Saint Laurent joined Elf-Sanofi. The transaction led to a division between Sanofi-controlled perfumes and the couture operation, which continued to be associated with Saint Laurent and Bergé. PPR acquired the wider YSL group in the late 1990s and transferred the fashion house to Gucci Group in 1999. Following the acquisition, Tom Ford was appointed to develop ready-to-wear, while Yves Saint Laurent continued to oversee haute couture for a period. Ford’s work brought a more overtly sensual and commercially focused direction to the label. The couture division closed in 2002, marking the end of the house’s original haute-couture operating model. After Ford’s departure in 2004, Stefano Pilati led the design studio and maintained the brand’s emphasis on tailoring, accessories and a contemporary Parisian image. Hedi Slimane became creative director in 2012. He shifted the public-facing fashion name toward Saint Laurent and introduced a youthful, narrow and rock-oriented visual language across clothing, stores and communications. His tenure strengthened the brand’s connection to music and popular culture while also reinforcing its accessories business. Anthony Vaccarello succeeded Slimane in 2016. Vaccarello retained the house’s sensuality and sharpness but developed a more consistent runway vocabulary around long evening silhouettes, pronounced shoulders, leather, metallic details and highly recognizable Saint Laurent styling. The fashion business is now part of Kering’s luxury portfolio. It operates internationally through boutiques, e-commerce and selected retail partners, offering women’s and men’s ready-to-wear, handbags, shoes, small leather goods, jewelry and other accessories. The beauty operation follows a separate path: L’Oréal acquired YSL Beauté in 2008 and manages YSL Beauty fragrances, makeup and skincare. This distinction is central to understanding the modern brand. Saint Laurent is the Kering fashion house, while YSL Beauty is an L’Oréal-operated beauty business using the Yves Saint Laurent identity. Both rely on the house’s Parisian heritage but address consumers through different product, distribution and management structures.

2024
Cédric Charbit becomes CEO
[1]Yves Saint Laurent (fashion house)en.wikipedia.org
Cédric Charbit was identified as chief executive of Yves Saint Laurent.
2016
Anthony Vaccarello appointed creative director
[1]Yves Saint Laurent (fashion house)en.wikipedia.org
Vaccarello succeeded Slimane and continued developing the house’s sensual, sharply tailored identity.
2012
Hedi Slimane becomes creative director
[1]Yves Saint Laurent (fashion house)en.wikipedia.org
Slimane introduced a more youth-oriented, rock-influenced creative direction and emphasized the Saint Laurent name.
2008
L’Oréal acquires YSL Beauté
[4]L’Oréal Gains YSL Beautéwwd.com
L’Oréal purchased the beauty business and assumed operation of the YSL fragrance and cosmetics activities.
2002
Haute couture division closed
[1]Yves Saint Laurent (fashion house)en.wikipedia.org
The closure ended the house’s original couture operating division and confirmed its strategic focus on ready-to-wear and accessories.
1999
Gucci Group acquisition
[3]Gucci buys YSLnews.bbc.co.uk
Gucci acquired the fashion house as part of the consolidation of major European luxury brands.
1993
Integration into Elf-Sanofi
[2]Sale of the Groupe YSL to Elf-Sanofimuseeyslparis.com
The indebted YSL group joined Elf-Sanofi and its activities were divided between perfume and couture operations.
1978
Cosmetics line introduced
[1]Yves Saint Laurent (fashion house)en.wikipedia.org
The brand expanded its beauty activity with cosmetics, complementing its fragrance and fashion businesses.
1966
Rive Gauche ready-to-wear introduced
[1]Yves Saint Laurent (fashion house)en.wikipedia.org
The Rive Gauche line helped establish designer ready-to-wear as a core part of the brand’s business.
1961
House founded in Paris
[1]Yves Saint Laurent (fashion house)en.wikipedia.org
Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé established the Yves Saint Laurent fashion house.

Products and positioning

Parisian luxury with a modern, provocative and rock-influenced identity, spanning fashion, leather goods, footwear and separately operated beauty products.

Fashion · 1966
Women’s ready-to-wear
The women’s collection translates Saint Laurent’s signature tailoring, eveningwear and rock-influenced styling into seasonal runway and commercial lines. Recurring elements include sharply cut jackets, tuxedo references, short silhouettes, fluid dresses, leather and transparent or metallic treatments. The category is central to the fashion house’s identity and is sold through boutiques, digital channels and selected luxury retailers.
Fashion
Men’s ready-to-wear
Men’s ready-to-wear extends the house’s Parisian tailoring and music-related visual language into suits, jackets, knitwear, outerwear, shirts and seasonal statement pieces. The line is positioned as luxury fashion rather than basic formalwear, combining precise construction with relaxed or provocative styling.
Leather goods
Handbags and leather goods
Handbags and small leather goods are among Saint Laurent’s most visible commercial categories. The assortment includes structured and soft bags, shoulder styles, top handles, clutches, wallets and card holders. Recognizable house branding and hardware allow the category to carry the Saint Laurent identity across a broad international customer base.
Accessories
Footwear
The footwear range includes women’s and men’s shoes spanning boots, sandals, pumps, loafers, sneakers and distinctive evening styles. Designs frequently carry the house’s elongated proportions, sharp lines, metallic details and high-fashion approach to proportion.
Fragrance
YSL Beauty fragrances
YSL Beauty’s fragrance portfolio is operated by L’Oréal and includes established lines such as Libre, Black Opium and MYSLF. These fragrances use strong visual identities and celebrity or cultural partnerships to connect the historic fashion name with contemporary beauty consumers.
Makeup
YSL Beauty makeup
YSL Beauty makeup includes complexion, lip, eye and color products. Touche Éclat is one of the best-known products associated with the beauty business, while lip products and other color cosmetics extend the brand’s luxury positioning into daily beauty routines.
Skincare
YSL Beauty skincare
The separately operated YSL Beauty skincare range includes premium facial-care products marketed through the brand’s beauty distribution network. It uses the house’s luxury packaging and fashion-led communications while belonging to L’Oréal’s beauty business rather than Kering’s fashion company.

Controversies

2018
Hedi Slimane compensation dispute with Kering
A court dispute over contractual compensation during Slimane’s final year resulted in an award against Kering, according to the cited encyclopedia account.
Source
2018
Hedi Slimane compensation lawsuit
According to the cited account, former creative director Hedi Slimane brought a contractual compensation claim concerning his final year at the house. The court reportedly ordered Kering to pay compensation. The matter concerned contractual remuneration rather than product safety or consumer misconduct.
Source
2017
Advertising Standards Authority ruling on a Saint Laurent advertisement
The United Kingdom's advertising regulator ruled that a Saint Laurent print advertisement presented an unhealthily thin model. The advertisement was prohibited from appearing again in its original form, contributing to wider industry debate about body image in fashion advertising.
Source
1977
Controversy surrounding the Opium name and advertising
The Opium fragrance name and its exoticized advertising imagery attracted criticism in some markets for associations with drug culture and for presenting stereotyped Orientalist imagery. The controversy became part of the fragrance's public history while the product remained commercially important.
Source
1971
The 1940s-inspired collection attracts controversy
Saint Laurent's spring collection drew criticism from observers who argued that its wartime references romanticized or trivialized the German occupation of France.
Source
1971
Controversy over the 1940s collection
The spring 1971 collection's use of 1940s references prompted criticism that it romanticized the German occupation of France. The debate became one of the most prominent controversies associated with Saint Laurent's career.
Source

2025Don’t Call It Love
Global
The International Women’s Day film presented a seemingly glamorous relationship before exposing behaviors associated with intimate-partner violence. It was designed as a social message rather than a conventional product advertisement.
Outcome. The film directed attention to the Abuse Is Not Love initiative and its prevention and education objectives.
Source
2023MYSLF Gen-Z fragrance campaign
United States and digital international markets
YSL Beauty promoted MYSLF through a group of younger male creators and entertainers, combining Instagram activity with Twitch placements to present a broader and more emotionally open image of masculinity.
Outcome. The campaign expanded the launch beyond traditional fragrance advertising and targeted younger male digital audiences.
Source
2020Abuse Is Not Love
Global
YSL Beauty launched a social-impact program focused on preventing intimate-partner violence and educating audiences about abusive behavior and warning signs.
Outcome. The program continued through educational partnerships and later campaign films, with the stated aim of supporting prevention initiatives.
Source
Libre augmented-reality campaign
Mexico and digital international markets
A Libre fragrance activation combined Dua Lipa’s ambassador role with Snapchat and Instagram augmented-reality filters, video, print, paid social and QR-linked magazine placement.
Outcome. The campaign used interactive discovery tools to connect fragrance sampling and brand storytelling with social platforms.
Source
MYSLF Twitch interactive launch
Saudi Arabia
YSL Beauty worked with a Saudi Twitch streamer and used a branded puzzle and game experience to launch an intensified MYSLF fragrance variant to Gen-Z audiences.
Outcome. Amazon Ads reported a 122 percent increase in sales for the case study campaign.
Source

Brand decisions

2008
Separation of the beauty business to L’OréalM&A
Background
PPR retained the fashion brand while seeking a specialist operator for its perfume and cosmetics activities.
Action taken
L’Oréal acquired YSL Beauté and took over operation of the relevant fragrance and cosmetics licenses.
Aftermath
The fashion and beauty businesses developed under separate corporate ownership and operating structures.
Acquisition price. €1.15 billion (2008 transaction)
Source
2002
Closure of haute couture divisionStrategy
Background
The house had already been shifting toward ready-to-wear, accessories and fragrance as the more sustainable commercial foundations of the business.
Action taken
The haute couture division was closed.
Aftermath
Saint Laurent continued as a luxury fashion house centered on ready-to-wear, leather goods, footwear and other accessories.
Source
1999
Transfer of the fashion house to Gucci GroupM&A
Background
PPR’s acquisition of the wider YSL group was followed by the placement of the fashion house within Gucci Group, creating a larger luxury platform for the brand.
Action taken
Gucci Group acquired and integrated Yves Saint Laurent while maintaining a distinct fashion-house identity.
Aftermath
The move led to new creative leadership and a stronger focus on commercially scalable ready-to-wear and accessories.
Source

Recent events

2025
YSL Beauty promotes abuse-prevention program through Don’t Call It Love[9]Don’t Call It Loveforbes.com
Campaign · Other
A short film used the visual language of luxury advertising to highlight warning signs of intimate-partner violence as part of YSL Beauty’s Abuse Is Not Love program.
2025
Saint Laurent presents its 2025 spring campaign[15]圣罗兰发布2025春季广告大片cosmopolitancn.com
Campaign
The campaign was directed by David Sims with creative direction from Anthony Vaccarello and featured Gwyneth Paltrow.
2024
Cédric Charbit became chief executive officer of Yves Saint Laurent[1]Yves Saint Laurent (fashion house)en.wikipedia.org
Leadership change
The fashion house identified Cédric Charbit as its chief executive, succeeding in the operational leadership of the Kering-owned brand.
2024
Saint Laurent appoints Cédric Charbit as chief executive officer[16]Saint Laurent任命Cédric Charbit为首席执行官kering.com
Leadership change
Kering appointed Cédric Charbit chief executive of Saint Laurent, succeeding Francesca Bellettini, who moved to a wider Kering role.
2023
YSL Beauty launches MYSLF campaign with Gen-Z creators[7]MYSLF Gen-Z fragrance campaignglossy.co
Campaign · Product launch
The MYSLF men’s fragrance campaign used Finn Wolfhard, Lil Yachty, Hunter Doohan, Steve Lacy and Noah Beck alongside Austin Butler, with placements including Instagram and Twitch.
2018
Saint Laurent stages shows outside the regular Paris schedule[11]Hedi Slimane compensation dispute with Keringzh.wikipedia.org
Other
The house presented a show in New York before returning to Paris later that year, including a presentation near the Eiffel Tower.
2016
Anthony Vaccarello continued as Saint Laurent creative director[1]Yves Saint Laurent (fashion house)en.wikipedia.org
Leadership change
Anthony Vaccarello took on the creative-director role and continued to shape the house’s contemporary collections and visual identity.
2016
Hedi Slimane leaves Saint Laurent[17]Hedi Slimane离开Saint Laurentkering.com
Leadership change
Saint Laurent and Hedi Slimane ended their collaboration after four years in which the brand underwent a major visual and commercial repositioning.
2016
Anthony Vaccarello appointed creative director[18]Anthony Vaccarello被任命为创意总监kering.com
Leadership change
Anthony Vaccarello succeeded Hedi Slimane as Saint Laurent's creative director and continued to oversee the house's runway collections and creative identity.
2016
Saint Laurent appoints Anthony Vaccarello as creative director[11]Hedi Slimane compensation dispute with Keringzh.wikipedia.org
Leadership change
Vaccarello succeeded Hedi Slimane and began a new creative phase for the fashion house.

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