Artilleries: Costume Institute Part One: Yves Saint Laurent

Public archives are the greatest thing to ever be great, especially when it comes to major museums like the The Metropolitan Museum of Art. In addition to its extensive archives of artwork, the Met also has a database called The Costume Institute, its historical fashion branch. Anything from a Mantuan dress from the late 17th century, to jackets by John Galliano, The Costume Institute archives it all by the thousands. Since digging around public archives is a pastime of mine, I figured I would share my favorites from this one, featured by designer, starting with Yves Saint Laurent.

Born in French Algeria in 1936, Yves Saint Laurent was a prominent French designer who, after working extensively for Dior, started his own company. Known for its incredibly constructed, yet feminine silhouettes and its introduction of prêt-à-porter (ready-to-wear), YSL remains one of the leading French brands to date.