The ugliest show in Paris became the show fashion never stopped quoting
The verdict on Yves Saint Laurent (@ysl)'s spring 1971 couture was instant: Eugenia Sheppard of the New York Post pronounced it hideous, the ugliest show in Paris. 80 looks on six models at rue Spontini, cut like the 1940s: short dresses, platform shoes, square shoulders, heavy make-up. Saint Laurent's reply ran in Elle: 'I'm sad and flattered.' The idea had walked in off the street, Paloma Picasso was dressing from flea markets, and he translated the habit into couture. The house now credits that scandal with opening fashion's retro habit, and in 2015 the flop got its own exhibition at the Fondation Pierre Berge, curated by Olivier Saillard. Not bad, all told, for the ugliest show in Paris.
The weekly
NewsletterWeeklyOne email a week. Every post from the week, and what didn't fit on a slide.Free. Never shared. Unsubscribe any time.
The post, as it ran
01'THE UGLIEST SHOW IN PARIS.' THAT WAS THE PRESS VERDICT ON
SAINT LAURENT'S 1971 COUTURE.
0280 LOOKS, SIX MODELS, 29 JANUARY 1971. SHORT DRESSES, PLATFORMS,
SQUARE SHOULDERS, RED MOUTHS: PARIS SAW THE OCCUPATION YEARS
WALKING AND RECOILED.
03SAINT LAURENT'S REPLY, PRINTED IN ELLE: 'I'M SAD AND
FLATTERED.'
04THE SCANDAL HAD WALKED IN OFF THE STREET. PALOMA PICASSO WAS
DRESSING FROM FLEA MARKETS IN 1940S FINDS, AND HE PUT THE HABIT
INTO COUTURE.
05THE HOUSE NOW CREDITS THAT COLLECTION WITH OPENING FASHION'S
RETRO HABIT. IN 2015 THE FLOP GOT ITS OWN EXHIBITION AT THE
FONDATION PIERRE BERGE, CURATED BY OLIVIER SAILLARD.
06EVERY ARCHIVE-QUOTING, VINTAGE-MINING COLLECTION SINCE OWES IT
RENT. NOT BAD FOR THE UGLIEST SHOW IN PARIS.