1961
A house of his own
After working at Dior, Saint Laurent founded his label with Bergé. Their partnership gave the designer a platform for a distinctive modern wardrobe.
The House & Its Designers
Saint Laurent
Paris · 1961
A wardrobe of attitude, from Le Smoking to the shoulder bag.
Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé established a house that changed the relationship between couture and everyday dress. Its accessories draw on that mixture of sharp tailoring, sensuality and cultural reference.
40 photographs · Reviewed August 2026
Explore the history ↓
01 / The house
The story behind the name.
1966
Le Smoking and Rive Gauche
The women’s tuxedo and the Rive Gauche ready-to-wear line challenged conventions of formal dress and access to fashion. Menswear references became central to the house.
2012–2016
Hedi Slimane’s chapter
Slimane recast the ready-to-wear identity around music and a lean silhouette. The name Saint Laurent Paris appeared alongside the enduring YSL monogram.
2016 onward
Anthony Vaccarello
Vaccarello developed a strong silhouette and a cinematic image. In bags, chains, quilting and the Cassandre monogram keep the house’s identity immediately legible.
02 / The designers
The people who shaped the house.
Selected creative chapters; dates distinguish appointments from runway debuts.
Founder
Yves Saint Laurent
Changed modern dress through tailoring, cultural references and ready-to-wear.
2012–2016
Hedi Slimane
Gave the house a tightly defined, music-inflected wardrobe.
Appointed 2016
Anthony Vaccarello
Develops the house through strong proportions, sensuality and film.
On the runway
Selected looks and details, matched to the house and season.
Saint Laurent · Fall 2016 Ready To Wear
Saint Laurent · Spring 2017 Ready To Wear
Saint Laurent · Spring 2020 Ready To Wear
Saint Laurent · Spring 2024 Ready To Wear
Saint Laurent · Fall 2024 Ready To Wear
03 / The bags
A vocabulary in leather and form.
A selection of the house’s designs. Resale photographs illustrate individual examples; size, finish and condition vary.
01
Sac de Jour
A structured open-top bag with accordion sides and short handles.
02
Loulou
A soft quilted flap bag with chain straps and the Cassandre emblem.
03
Kate
A slim flap shoulder bag with Cassandre hardware, sometimes finished with a tassel.
04
Cassandre Envelope
A pointed flap and geometric quilting frame the house’s interlocking initials.
05
ICARE Maxi Shopper
An oversized quilted tote with a large Cassandre emblem.
06
Manhattan
A clean-lined leather bag with restrained metal clasp details.
07
Lou Camera Bag
A compact rectangular zip-top crossbody with quilted leather panels.
08
College
A quilted flap bag with a short top handle and chain shoulder strap.
09
Becky
A quilted shoulder bag with a structured flap and chain hardware.
10
Sunset
A structured shoulder bag with a central Cassandre emblem and organised compartments.
More designs to know
- Niki
- A slouching quilted shoulder bag with a tonal YSL motif.
- Le 5 à 7
- A compact shoulder bag with a distinctive hooked Cassandre closure.
- Le Monogramme
- A canvas accessories family built around an all-over house motif.
- Solferino
- A rounded flap satchel fastened with the house’s interlocking initials.
- Le Maillon
- A structured shoulder bag with a bold chain-link closure.