Circa 1964-1965

Paris

Little black dress in Grain de Poudre, muslin and leather by Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture numbered 00983 in the tradition of the famous Mondrian dresses made by the French master in 1965.  A straight, sleeveless, crew-neck dress with a cleverly constructed over-dress, split at the front and adorned with a black suede leather strap at the bust. A longer underdress underneath alternates black powder grain for the visible parts with black silk pongee for the concealed parts, and features an inside zip at the back for ease of wear. The original hand-stitched black French zip at the back called fermeture éclair allows this dress to be slipped on with the help of a third party, as in the 19th century. The slightly flared cut at the bottom is reminiscent of the Chasuble line favoured during this period, thanks in particular to Cristobal Balenciaga. The label sewn into the collar reads Yves Saint Laurent Made in France Paris and the printed number 00983, indicating a very early model in his work. A visual examination reveals no flaws. Its condition is between very good and excellent.

Dimensions: Equivalent size 36-38 France. Shoulders 38 cm, chest 90 cm, waist 81 cm, hips 90 cm, height 106 cm.

The model will be catalogued and exhibited in France at two exhibitions devoted to Yves Saint Laurent in 2022 and 2023.

According to Pierre Soulages, a native of Rodez, from deep black to the iridescent glitter of the Parisian nights of the 1980s, black is also a masculine and bourgeois colour since Louis-Philippe, worn out of mourning, half-mourning or by convention. It is also the colour of the dinner jacket or the little black dress worn by Gabrielle Chanel or Yves Saint Laurent. Even today, the little black dress remains the symbol of a measured French chic.