The Greatest Rivalry in Fashion History

in the year 1851 London would see the finished construction of the Crystal Palace the building that would serve to host the first World's Fair the Crystal Palace was unlike any other building that anyone had seen up until that point a Marvel of human accomplishments it highlighted British Innovation and reflected the advancements brought about by the Industrial Revolution above all else it was a pillar of Hope for many a promise for a better future Russian novelist Nikolai cherneski believed that it instilled confidence in human rationality that we could continue ously improved Society until we reached a Utopia symbolized by the Crystal Palace a place where humans could all live in harmony of course this would never be actualized Fodor dooi explored a much more grounded sentiment through the perspective of the underground man he realized that the promise of the Crystal Palace was an Impossible Dream the irrational nature of humans and our longing to act upon our freedom and desires makes it such going even further proclaiming that the harmony that the Crystal Palace promised would not be desirable even if it were Poss I Notes From The Underground was originally published in 1864 around the same time the Russian nihilist movement came into prominence although DVI was not a nihilist himself he understood their desires to irrationally tear down the infrastructure of society by the 1890s the Crystal Palace would fall into disrepair eventually burning down in 1936 with Winston Churchill famously remarking that this is the end of an age in a similar vein Paris would enter what would later be referred to as the beautiful era which started around around 1880 the Eiffel Tower was constructed in 1889 serving as the grand entrance to the World's Fair and simultaneously ushering in a time of optimism and stability for France if you were fortunate enough to afford it the beautiful era saw the development of the Paris Metro the birth of Modern Art and a plethora of other social cultural Innovations of course much like the Crystal Palace this too would not last the first and second world wars devastated the nation although there would be a brief period of Elegance between the wars by 19 1946 the aftermath was obvious the city was a far cry from what it was a few decades prior Paris would undergo repairs and its cultural life would resume Christian Dior hosted the first post-war fashion show in 1947 and brought the city back to being the epicenter of high fashion but as the city underwent great changes new problems arose and many longed for the past the Algerian war of independence took its toll throughout the 50s and into the60s 1967 saw the release of JJ shers the American challeng which captivated the nation convincing many that the only way for Paris to succeed would be for them to adopt the lifestyle of American entrepreneurs a stark contrast to the traditional way of life seen throughout Paris thus far May of 1968 was another period of civil unrest for France prompted by student protests that were fueled by the youth finally unleashing after a lifetime of repression more than 11 million dissatisfied union workers would eventually join the cause the social Revolution would Mark another turning point now with newly founded libert Arian ideals Paris was left in the 1970s contemplating its identity and future fashion in particular was about to undergo huge changes Couture would be challenged by the introduction of ready to wear the passing of Christian Dior Gabrielle Chanel and Christal Balenciaga represented the end of an era fashion and Paris at large would soon enter a time of Liberation marked by Youthful desires and decadence many longed for a past that they themselves had not actually lived through nevertheless as Paris was reminiscing on its legacy two young designers had been busy creating legacies of their own the Rivalry of ye St lauron and Carl lerf is extensively detailed throughout Alicia Drake's book The Beautiful fall fashion genius and glorious excess in 1970s Paris it will serve as the main source for which this video is based off of and I definitely recommend checking it out as I will not be able to do the entire thing Justice Drake provides a lot of in-depth information and there are a lot of great sources included at the end Caro loger Feld was born on September 10th 1933 in Hamburg Germany 3 years later in 1936 his future friend turned competitor ye St laurant would be born in Oran Algeria a town that had served as a prominent French Colony since the 19th century although their paths would not cross until later the two had much in common both of them were the only sons from families with hardworking and distant fathers both had been regarded as outcasts since their youth and of course both of them desired to one day reach the esteem that could only be found in Paris GES has Charmed his family from my young age taking a keen interest in fashion early in his life at 12 years old Eve saw the play the def F at a local theater which his mother described as a revelation for him the theater was all he would talk about he would frequently write and direct plays of his own creation although he thrived in his home life school was another story yees felt burdened as a result of his physical appearance combined with the guilt stemming from his homosexuality ye stuck out from the others appearing effeminate in nature he was often ostracized and turned into a punching hence he tended to avoid others instead folding inwords on himself rendering him an outcast among his classmates however he held on to the fact that one day he would be famous and his Fame would serve as his revenge he would enter Paris For the First Time In 1953 after winning third prize in the international wol Secretariat competition those who he encountered while he was there described him as remarkably shy yet harboring a strong sense of self-belief while in Paris he told his mother that it would not be long until he was working at Christian Dior which at the time was the most prominent Couture house in June of 1954 yees would enroll at the most renowned Couture industry School in Paris Carl would be enrolled at the same school at the same time although they were not in the same class yees only stayed there for 3 months before entering into a depressive slump his father remarked that yees felt as if the school was worth nothing to him and the sensity found it too traditional not stimulating enough for his mind which was already racing with success Michelle dehoff the editor-in-chief of French Vogue who ye's father had connected him with on his first trip over to Paris was impressed by ye's designs so much so that he brought some of them to show off to Christian Dior that next year yees would take up an assistant role at Dior and it was here and under the wing of Mr Dior himself that yees would soon begin to come into his own even still his shyness was overwhelming a member of the Dior Studio described him as a little girl yees was someone who never spoke yet was passive enough to the extent that he could dominate across the street Carl himself would take an internship position under Pierre balain B and Dior 2o had previously worked together even discussing opening up their own fashion house this was before B man decided to start his solo Venture in 1945 with Dior founding his own house a year later car remarked that the treatment they received as the young new members of their respective houses was akin to that of ye's school years poor conditions even worse pay and an overall humiliating atmosphere however it was during this time that the pair began to develop a friendship often confiding in one another their group of friends would hang out at Carl's apartment as one of their friends deemed Carl the only one who had any money at the time despite Carl's inherited wealth he had a certain motivation and discipline unlike any other which will get into later around this time ye and Carl would befriend a model named VTO dortu who was working under Christian Dior at the time both ye and Carl frequently competed for her attention often attempting to win her over through giftgiving and creating her exclusive designs however it was yees who ultimately won her over for a brief period of time at least which came after he was promoted and named assistant to Christian Dior in 1957 another member of their friend group at the time was an Marie paupard and the four of them would frequently go out together although yees was shy and the one who wanted to stay in the most it was him who often led the group at this time yees was designing around 40 or so dresses for each Dior collection he would occasionally return home to Oran where he was met with praise from his family in the fall of 1957 Christian Dior would attend to Spa rre as an attempt to lose weight and improve his health this unfortunately proved to be futile as on October 24th 1957 he would suffer a heart attack and pass away at the age of 52 his solo fashion career only lasted 10 years but its influence is still largely felt to this day shortly before his death Dior met with ye's mother and he told her that he wished for him to be his successor a new team was then chosen to head the Dior fashion house comprised of raymon zener Marquette K MIT Bard and 21-year-old ye St laurant ye returned home in December of 1957 and in a state of euphoria over the next 3 weeks who had manically create over a thousand sketches that he would later bring back to Paris from that 178 outfits were chosen and on January 30th 1958 the showed his first collection under Dior in this collection he debuted a new silhouette which was dubbed trapes and many took this as a sign of yees sort of laying down the law debuting a more youthful look that Dior had not seen in a long time yees made the clothes more free flowing giving them Spirit by lightening them up and shortening the hemline his debut was held in high regard and and he was later launched into the Limelight the Press viewed him as the new sad child being tall thin narrow shouldered melancholic with a skinny face a sort of Fawn in the forest in 1958 yees would begin a relationship with Pierre bur someone who had soon come to play a major role in not just ye's personal life but in his career as well Pierre understood yees well and yees valued the strength that Pierre offered he was someone he could count on when he was feeling overwhelmed by 1960 yees had designed six collections for Dior however given his age and his experience relative to the others his time there was not easy he would often attempt to reclaim power through his work but this time that was not enough keep in mind while all this was going on so was the Algerian war and yees being aged 24 was eligible for conscription Dior had previously made it so yees could avoid having to join the Army in the past but this time was different as his final collection with Dior was not favorable with dior's clientele perhaps this was a way to remove yees from his position yees reported for military training into September of 1960 he did not make it past basic training After experiencing an immense breakdown he was hospitalized until mid November no one knew if he would ever return to Paris yees would recall these memories later saying that this experience reminded him of the anxieties he felt at school going further stating that they were frequently administering him with powerful tranquilizers all while keeping him in a room with others who were going mad it is unknown if this caused ye to develop a lifelong battle with mental illness or if this simply awakened pre-existing conditions however it is clear that this brief stint would impact yees for the rest of his life he was on top of the fashioned world one day and the next he was tossed to the side exhibiting the unrelenting nature of the industry at large from now on Pierre would handle directing ye's image he would decide what the public could or could not know about him many believe that this was the start of a controlling relationship but we will soon find out otherwise when yees came back on the scene later that year he would suor for breaching their contract and ultimately win as a result in December of 1961 ye now with financial backing would launch the house of ye St laurant although ye's first collection under his new label did not live up to the heightened expectations of the media he was celebrated by his close friends and eager to prove himself at this time he was still very much influenced by Dior and Couture as a whole but he would soon begin to develop his own identity over the next few years yees and Pierre's relationship would strengthen and yees would begin to come into his own yees was praise for being able to continuously deliver the new look and keep things interesting redefining women's style during dur this time ye's sister would begin to feel as if something had changed between her and yees and yees would no longer hang out with Carl the main factor influencing both of these relationships being Pierre and his seemingly controlling Tendencies by the mid 1960s ye's friend group would shrink becoming very closed off with hiding importance being placed in his relationship with Pierre and their intimately complex Dynamic yees and his in group would begin vacationing in may catch a prominent City in Morocco away from the hustle of Paris this would Mark the beginning of a period of Indulgence and Hedonism in ye's life a stark contrast to his previously uptight anxious and strict self here he was able to cut loose away from the pressures of the Fashion World by now he had launched his ready to wear line and was designing four collections a year two ready to wear two Hout tour Pierre and yees had also launched their first YSL perfume by now furthering the label's success and profitability yees was enjoying this newfound Liberation on his trips away from Paris often wishing that he wasn't born too early to be a hippie this period of indulgence combined with yees meeting Betty Saint one of his new fixations and additions to the friend group would serve as a sort of paradigm shift for yees Betty remarked that her introduction encouraged yees to misbehave a little he was willing to let go of course while all of this was going on in Morocco the May 1968 riots were unfolding in France starting with University students releasing their pent up anger transitioning into more than 10 million protesters Across the Nation it was clear that times were changing although the protest did not usher in an era of promised Utopia they were a sign of things to come and highlighted the notion of Liberation something that yees had been undergoing in his personal life yees would return to Paris that summer and publicly support the protests as such his July 68 collection became regarded as his best one yet while yees was celebrated on the main stage Carl lerf was making moves in silence although many in Paris knew his name by 1968 he was often the subject of many rumors rumors which often stem from his very calculated appearance being born into it was rare that Carl had such a strong work ethic and since coming to Paris he had been doing freelance work for a handful of different designers he became known for his Larger than Life image remarked by his characteristics of being extraordinarily physically fit routinely disciplined and hardworking he almost didn't seem real and was often the subject of laughter as a result of course he did not care despite growing up well off he often experienced similar childhood hardships to yees which too rendered him an outsider he lived in exclusion but had an aura of superiority due to his family heritage these two are traits that he would carry throughout his life in 1964 Carl Met Gabby Aon of the brand CH she agreed to hire him as a freelance designer Carl would soon work his way up to doing over 10 designs per ready toar collection and learned a lot from Gabby she remarks how prolific Carl was and was impressed by his ability to create designs that sold well you would think that now being aged 35 in 1968 that Carl would decide to start his own line but he did not despite being a major factor in this success of others and building his own image he had no real interest in coming up with a distinct Carl loger Feld style however 1969 would mark an era of change for Carl two individuals who came to Paris from the Exotic United States of America named Antonio Lopez and Juan Ramos would get introduced to Carl and pill him on New York style additional arrivals from the US included Donna Jordan and Cory tippen who had come to form Carl's Entourage they would immediately become important to Carl and serve as a source of inspiration for him with Carl often referring to himself as vampiric in the sense that he would utilize others for his own gain with Carl's Entourage now established in the 1970s who had contined to improve upon his relationships with those close to him his Entourage served as a mutually beneficial experience Carl would fund their Lifestyles while they would serve as a means of inspiration for him the Americans found that Carl lived up to his Larger than Life image often to a ridiculous extent again almost to a fault with Carl often being the butt of the joke Carl exhibited great gener osity to those around him and began taking his entourage on trips to spend their summers in St trape dis similar to yees Carl would remain disciplined during his vacations often highly cautious of his physical appearance and not engaging in the same levels of indulgence Carl must have known that being older he didn't entirely fit in he was content with just sitting back and watching the others have fun studying those around him and benefiting from their presence it was his Entourage who influenced Carl's New Philosophy regarding fashion no longer would it be about h lines or creating the new look but more so a collection themed around a certain attitude a trend that we still see to this day at the time Carl's habits may have appeared unorthodox but little did they know how ahead of the time he was and how many things he predated of course with Carl committing to his own Entourage and as such furthering his commitment to the fashion industry it was clear that it was only a matter of time before he began to clash with yees ye's group was regarded as the most exclusive letting few people in with the odd exception one exception was made for Lulu deales someone who would soon become a great source of inspiration for yees yees invited her to maret where she immediately had a huge effect on yees While others walked on eggshells around him she was fearless and encouraged him to be less self-conscious further contributing to the newly found Liberation that he was experiencing at the same time Andy Warhol arrived in Paris and would join Carl's group again furthering the American influence that Paris was indulging in at the time and cementing Carl as a force to be reckoned with this moment reflected the changes that Paris was going through the protest American attitudes the tongue-and-cheek youthful nature all of which was a stark contrast to the traditional sense of H Couture it was clear that a new age was underway with both groups coming into their own and their rivalries gaining prominence their Clash was inevitable it was an intense and exciting time fueled by newly found Liberation Indulgence desires and the ability to act and design without constraints Beyond fashion the' 70s were a time of sexual freedom for the homosexuals with LEP being a major for Indulgence it was a place for all Attractive people regardless of background or sexual orientation to experience this newly found Freedom Carl and ye's group would frequently attend it and it became the new hot spot for people to converge this year yees would reference the boxy wide features of the clothes of the 1940s which led to the debut of the St laurance shoulder Motif featured on jackets that yees would become known for additionally this was the same time Kenzo came on the scene and became the closest thing to competition that ye has had in years 1972 was a time of turmoil for the Carl group Carl through elevating his business relationships with Antonio and Juan had been letting the Friendship slide as previously mentioned due to his otherworldly characteristics Carl was often the subject of many impersonations and frequently the butt of the joke of course he often let that slide as he greatly benefited from having the likes of Antonio and Juan around they kept him busy and full of new ideas Carl would basically achieve Success Through observing referencing and recreating all while Reinventing himself in to stay relevant of course this would soon be to the detriment of his friends in their summer Retreat to St Trope Carl brought a new friend along named jaac de bashier jacqu was everything that Carl's American friends were not he was French and from a privileged life unfamiliar with the world of fashion the Americans knew that their time was up with Cory understanding the Disposable nature of fashion and Carl's tendency to find new fixations tensions continued to grow within the group eventually exploding when one night Juan and his boyfriend Paul through the chair that Carl's mother used into their pool the next morning Carl kicked them out and this was likely around the same time that he realized he had gotten everything he could out of the American group as such Carl and jacqu continue to grow in their relationship the Carl now finding new sources of inspiration at the same time in November of 1972 yees would take a trip to New York City where he was welcomed and hailed as a fashioned Messiah many of the people around yees only existed to please him thus combined with his heighten status continued to fuel his narcissistic Tendencies many regarded him as existing within his own world and with Pierre handling the logistics ye was free to immerse himself in whatever Endeavors he pleased around this time ready to wear was booming and Couture was falling off in 1973 yees outsourced the manufacturing aspect of St LA's ready to wear collections while he maintained control over designing around this time Global retail sales were around 24 million a year for they ready to wear line alone with Pierre now in a more prominent position of power many to take note of his controlling Tendencies while Pierre ordered everyone around yees often SED silent in his Studio of course Pierre was the only one who really knew the real yees and his manic depressive nature from an outside perspective Pier seemed controlling and restrictive when in reality he was only trying to negate ye's tantrums and hide the side of him from the Press he needed to keep ye stimulated all while handling the business side of things and controlling ye's aggression yees was often depicted as the tortured artist archetype and although many can theorize if this is self-imposed and as a result of his destructive Tendencies we'll never really know for certain but we can gain a glimpse into his mind through the cartoons that he Illustrated which were entitled laan Lulu which follows a self-obsessed stist protagonist with Psychopathic Tendencies the illustrations echoed the melancholic aura that ye so often carried Carl's fascination with Jac's contined to grow well into 1973 Carl often praised him and it was clear that this was his new source of INSP spiration he allowed Carl to tap into what he was not Carl being around 40 years old at this point was enthralled by Jac's youthfulness and flamboyant nature of course that is not all shck being an interesting extravagant individual was sure to catch the attention of yees it was only a matter of time with Carl and leaves both now in the spotlight both designing ready to wear and both frequenting the same locations surely some drama would eventually arise but for now Carl continued to work his way up at ch becoming a pivotal figure in the ready toar Department he frequently stayed ahead of the game and kept designing collections that sold really well all the while despite his attention and outwardly successful appearance he still felt alone he did not engage in the same level of indulgence as those around him he maintained his discipline and insisted that it was impossible for him to love anything other than his job as such Carl succeeded where others failed for instance Carl's Entourage continued to fall apart Corey who was once a prominent source of inspiration for Carl on account of his exotic American appeal and Youthful nature was now the old age of 24 and washed up Carl provided Cory with anything he could have wanted and he was a part of the In Crowd but when you are no longer needed fashion can be quite cruel casting you aside when you have no more to offer that was Cory's fate with no job or skills once his Beauty was gone he was no longer needed eventually resulting in him returning home to New York but that is not all the later half of 1973 saw the Carl and ye's rivalry take a turn for the worst an affair would break out between yees and jocks it was here that yees would display the extent to which he would go to satisfy his desires showcasing his obsessive nature the affair ended after a long night of yees pursuing Jacks at the sept ultimately culminating in yees crashing his Volkswagen Beetle into a pole next to where shocks was standing yees then called Pierre to pick him up thus ending his fascination with jacks just like that highlighting how quickly yees can transition from burning passion to unrel bored him perhaps this affair was motivated by the thrill of taking something from Carl and in turn cemented the power that jacqu wielded upon hearing the news Carl threw himself into a temper with Pierre blaming Carl for being unable to control his man such is life Carl would resent jacs for some time while Pierre continued to vouch for yees and clean up his mess in 1975 at 41 years old Carl signed a lucrative perfume deal with ch which was when the real money started rolling in for him this is the first time he began receiving some of the profit share as opposed to just doing freelance work Carl brought jacqu and Jose along with him to the USA to Champion his new deal after the three returned to Paris they regrouped with the rest of Carl's Entourage and left on another vacation in August of 1975 where tragedy soon struck on the morning of August 26th 1975 Jose was found dead on a set of train tracks approximately a 20-minute drive away from where they were all staying there are many uncertainties surrounding his death but the cause appeared to be suicide sh was devastated as Jose was someone who he was really close with however only 3 Days Later Carl was back to work when Pierre heard the news he used it to push the agenda that Carl's Entourage was dangerous blaming jacs for being flirtatious and evil with the capacity to drive people mad basing this off of ye's Prior obsession with him the same year ye's mental state continued to decline and his obsessive Tendencies became very clear his work often reflected his life he doesn't see any restrictions which renders him prone to overindulging how however many speculated that this is where his genius came from that his obsessive nature and being the self-imposed tortured artist was the key to his success of course this could not be sustainable many speculated that he grew to need Pierre to handle things for him in order to function this would be tested in 1976 which saw Pierre move out of their shared apartment after 18 years of being together this decision marked a change in Pierre's life he was now interested in self-preservation but he still highly valued his role in the St Laurent Destiny he himself and yees as an eagle with two heads yees still greatly needed Pierre which can be highlighted by the fact that one day while Pierre was in New York having lunch yees called him in a panic asking him how to find a plumber to fix a leak in his apartment as ye's condition worsened the brand only became more and more successful yees announced his depression in December of 1976 but this didn't seem to hinder his work ethic he proclaimed that he had been exploding with new ideas for months now and taking new risks like for instance he was utilizing far more color in his sketches and his subsequent designs for the season he would frequently be held up in his bedroom chain smoking cigarettes pouring his heart into his work he stated that his clothes Incorporated all of his dreams as such when he finally finished working he felt an overwhelming sense of emptiness leading to a mental breakdown and Pierre checking him into the American Hospital where he was treated for severe depression yees then returned to maret in August and rumors of his death began to spread he was drinking 2 lers of whiskey a day and experiencing a collapse that he would never entirely recover from he was hospitalized again almost until the debut of his ready to wear collection in October the collection known as the Carmen collection saw the debut of 281 outfits with the show lasting over 2 and 1/2 hours it featured Encore after Encore with yees describing it as a personal explosion although he was suffering he was in love with his work and just like that after the show there's a car waiting to take him back to the hospital the means by which yees utilized his self-destruction for creativity was as clear as ever although Carl did not have the same self-destructive Tendencies to the extent that yees frequently experienced he was hypercritical of his physical appearance for some time and of course he had his own vices as previously mentioned he was keen on hitting the gym and staying in shape but around the start of the 1970s he began to lose interest in going to the gym he began to put on weight and frequently drank multiple bottles of Coca-Cola a day he would later get back to working out and attempt to regain control over his weight but it wasn't until his 60s that he finally achieved a healthier physique this was perhaps as a result of his work ethic at the time combined with the fact that he wasn't doing drugs drinking or smoking like everyone else around him he was very keen to continuously reinvent himself and then impose that perfected version of himself onto the world the mid '70s saw Carl adopt his Mafia look where he frequently wore less form-fitting Cuts in favor of more free flowing Silhouettes including yoi suits Carl often distinguished himself from yees through his interactions with the media yees of course being far more reclusive at this time with his appearances being dictated by Pierre while Carl on the other hand made for great entertainment he's very generous never overtly boastful and used the media to tell his story his seductive nature and intelligence made for good press and were often the key to his success in the realm of fashion although his designs did not have a one distinct Carl loger Feld style the same way there was a St Laurent uniform Carl continuously reinvented himself reflecting the sentiments felt at the time Carl was often not concerned with the past and what he had done he was always focused on what he will do in the later half of the 70s and into the ' 80s jacqu threw many parties for Carl with the intent of cementing the Carl logger Feld image they also served as a way for Carl to observe those around him and continue his vampiric Tendencies which now with Punk being on the rise in Paris in 1977 a great sentiment of youthful disdain for the hippie generation was now present much of the younger generation now felt a strong rejection for the student Freedom Fighters just 10 years prior the threat of socialism in France was also on the rise at the time but that did not stop yees from securing a bag with the debut of the new YSL opium fragrance which launched in Europe in October of 1977 and later on in the US throughout this time however G's presence continued to become increasingly rare in stark contrast to Carl who often went out of his way to engage with the media the two groups would enter a very brief ceasefire with one another during the wedding of Paloma Picasso the wedding saw Pierre and Carl speaking calmly to one another and yees and Carl complimenting each other which was very rare of course this would not last and prove to be the Calm before the storm 1978 was a pivotal year for Carl which saw the unfortunate passing of his mother 3 days after his 45th birthday Carl understandably had an immense fear of illness and death death being the one thing in his life that he could not control he began a period of angst which was not good for his tendency to binge eat additionally this was around the time he started to develop a reputation for venting his jealousy in public starting with taking shots at yees and hope Couture eventually leading to him being referred to by the press as caddy Carl at this time yees being 42 years old still had intense habits of excess and self-destruction often excessively smoking 120 cigarettes a day although his All or Nothing attitude was a major factor in his success it was of course the reason for his downfall however at this time many regarded YSL as a sort of religion yees had an authoritative seductive nature that inherently command Ed those around him many experienced sharing his overwhelming feelings of anxiety stress and joy those around him worked simply to serve him and and frequently attempted to live up to his standards of course yees was still very much checked out of reality he needed the likes of Pierre to look after him and only years after the fact did people understand this yees did not want to look after himself he created their situation and not Pier like many speculated although yees was often viewed as the innocent tortured Spirit innocent angel he did actually possess a great strength few people were able to see the violence that ye actually created yet he needed his Ivory Tower and support from Pierre Pierre spoke on the relationship dynamic in 2005 addressing that it was actually quite the opposite of what everyone had expected Pierre existed as a self-imposed prisoner he understood his role and yet he wanted to be there for yees as such with yees pulling the Reigns and Pierre in his position of power led to a clash between Pierre and Carl Pierre of course liked to exercise his control but Carl was someone who could not be controlled Carl was one of the few people who would stand up to Pierre but of course that only fueled the creative obsessive work oriented passion that yees and Carl exhibited from 1978 and on yees would begin a period of refinement he would begin to step further and further away from fashion and ready to wear now focusing on H Couture again he understood that at his age and given the state of repetition that fashion was in yees could only refine the pure YSL style which began with a series of homage collections at this time GES was personally profiting around $4 million or so a year with Carl making around 3.5 million but by all this was going on the first socialist president took power in May of 1981 A Dark Day for France's millionaires it was not all doom and gloom for the Fashion World however 1982 saw the likes of kig garon and Yoji really arrive on the scene in Paris and come into their own yet around this time Carl was experiencing more existential angst one of his biggest fears was being left behind mind or not being a part of the moment he did not let that fear stop him because at 49 years old on September 15th of 1982 Carl accepted a position to design for Chanel finally he had caught up to yees all these years later Chanel would bring Carl the excess wealth and fame that he would become known for of course this would also be the most stressful position for him many in Paris were not keen on Chanel's decision yees included Carl knew how much Chanel meant to yees with Carl later stating poor yees did not need to go to Chanel to make Chanel style clothing he's been making chanels and selling them as St laurance for years ultimately Carl's first collection for Chanel fell short for many he chose to reference the Brand's work in the 1920s and 30s which failed to ignite the audience some regarded The Collection as feeling incomplete as Carl failed to get the Chanel armhole right which was something the brand consistently had been known for doing well yet Carl did not let this negative reception consume him Carl knew the world of fashion had changed he knew the success that ready to wear could have and most importantly he knew the power of not only creating an image but marketing it unbeknown to him at the time Carl would lay the blueprint for many future designers and creative directors to come he began to combine elements of Chanel's iconography all while tapping into the unfolding Zeitgeist at the time Carl set the president for this new sense of a post-modern designer Carl's fangs were out and his vampiric instincts were thriving now having unlimited access to the Chanel archives he could reference and reinvent as much as he desired he able to develop Chanel identity and take the house into the modern era at 50 years old in 1983 Carl was now designing ready to wear for Chanel as well as for his own line which was shown off in Paris twice a year the more he worked the more energy he seemed to have he continued to surround himself with like-minded individuals who fueled his passion around this time Carl had cut ties with chlo after some drama unfolded where he accused them of tampering with his designs yet as Carl was still bossing up those around him began to feel the aftermath of their years of excess ja fell ill in the 8S and it was revealed that he had AIDS of course at the time there was much uncertainty surrounding the illness often remarked as an unexplained immune deficiency syndrome yet it began plaguing the gay community many who frequently indulged in the Paris night life around this time were impacted AIDS was one of the major contributors to the end of this time of Glamour and excess the drugs the sex the Mindless hedonistic AXS all had to come to an end at some point their once youthful Spirits had been crushed yees continued to feel the the weight of this self-destruction as well and in 1985 he entered an alcohol induced coma for a brief period of time when yees did appear in public it was clear that he was a changed man his workflow was slowing down as such Pier began transitioning ye's image now championing him for Museum exhibits and heralding every show as an anniversary of sorts Pier also continued to try focusing on his own career now yet all these years later ye's affair with Jac was still a major source of jealousy for Carl although Carl gave an interview where he spoke on his supposed friendship with yees you could tell that he still held great resentment yees was something that Carl could never be Pierre went on to state that ye was just a poor boy with a psychological disorder while Carl is just a German designer Who Wants To Be A St laurant and that Carl should seek a psychiatrist for help yees was highly emotional he was driven by desire fueled by Indulgence always seeking out the next thing or the next person to inspire him he had high highs and low lows all of which motivated him creatively Carl on the other hand was all business he was driven by productivity he didn't let himself go the same way that yees did in a similar vein he would use others for inspiration and then cut them off and he was never satisfied as well once Carl was finished with his work the pleasure was gone he was always eager to get on to the next thing Carl described himself as a nyphomaniac who never got to finish perhaps Carl's past is a major point of contention for him he often changed a story when referring back to his home life which may come as a result of some repressed memories he likely felt a lot of guilt growing up and was unable to really tap into his past as a result regardless he continued to attack yees in the media claiming that all of his designs looked the same yet he continued to detest his rivalry stating that he would just rather focus on the future of course this only worsened his reputation maybe the fact that Carl knew the real yees before his success had an impact on his view he saw through the tortured artist Persona that the masses knew he knew that ye's image had been romanticized by the Press if it wasn't apparent that times were changing and that this era of decadence was coming to an end 1989 would really drive home this sentiment by May of this year shc's condition had taken its toll and after a long stay at the hospital and with Carl frequently by his side shocks would pass away in September at the young age of 38 years old despite their ups and downs Jac and Carl had an immense bond that only they really understood Jac represented an ideal for Carl Carl later explained that Jax was everything that Carl could not be Carl lived vicariously through him while Carl was disciplined and content with just watching Jac was free to indulge and live out however he wanted he was one of the few people who could understands Carl's motivations admitting at the start of 1980s that Carl would much prefer chocolate cake in Coca-Cola to love Carl admitted too that at the age of 14 he realized that he was born to be alone stating I live on a set with the curtains closed and with no audience but who cares Carl was someone who had always needed more as such he was unsure how to love he could not relate to others and he had always felt like an outsider even while in the company of those who admired him ye's father would also pass away in the late ' 80s and as such yees fell ill again and began drinking heavily at the start of the 90s after some more stays at the hospital it was clear that ye's party days were long gone he soon spoke openly of his illness and proclaimed how his depression had changed him yet his strength and willpower had always shown through his work when people criticized him and begged him to change up he persisted and his conviction to perfect the YSL look was unmatched despite his hardships he was more self-righteous than ever stating to the media that he was last Couer a stark contrast to the sentiments he exhibited in the late 60s professing the future of ready to wear unlike Christian Dior yees would not personally name a successor he truly believed that ysel and Couture would die with him yees would go on to criticize Carl and Chanel stating that Couture was regressing at Chanel they put chains and leather straps everywhere he said that poor wom must be rotting in her grave yees gave up designing ready to wear in 1998 at the age of 62 and wiel was sold that following year although ye maintained designing their Couture collections however around this time Tom Ford would join YSL and started to be revered as a new Idol Tom Ford had proven himself through his work with Gucci in the 9s and was eager to revisit the work of yees and yo collections from the 70s yees of course disliked Ford's interpretation of his work stating he does what he can that poor boy faced with reality yees retired at the start of 2002 he announced his retirement paid tribute to those who had supported him and spoke openly about his depression ye's Reign was efficiently over Carl's personal brand would suffer great financial losses and go under in 1997 but he continued his work with Chanel and collaborated with a variety of other brands and designers many believe that Carl needed Chanel it was curious how he could always do so well designing for others but never really focused on his own brand or creating a distinct Carl logel Style again reflecting his desires to frequently move on to the new latest and greatest thing Carl would become friends with Hedy slain in 2001 who at the time was the Men's Wear designer for Dior although he did initially begin his career at YSL in 1997 Carl remarked just how much had reminded him of a young ye St lauron not just in physical appearance but his introverted nature contrasted by his strong conviction yees would pass away in 2008 but his legacy as continue to live on through the Pierre bur and ye St Laurent foundation preserving his work and through the next generation of designers still frequently referencing his work to this day Carl would continue to live out his life working and enjoying his Fame his work ethic never waned and he finally became the star that he always wanted to be Carl would too later pass on in 2019 but of course much like yees he will always be remembered through his work and the Everlasting influence that he has had if you'll recall I began this video by discussing the Crystal Palace and the notion of utopia and the Impossible Dream that it represented and our IR rational desires to act in stark contrast to the harmony that Utopia offers Utopia of course means many different things for many different people yet the one common desire that we all share is freedom freedom to indulge the freedom to smoke 120 cigarettes a day the freedom to drink 20 bottles of Coke a day when that freedom is infringed upon is Utopia really desirable it is clear that fashion goes handin hand with Indulgence it is fueled by desire passion and and irrationality fashion is never content it is always about finding the new thing we have learned what it must have been like to be wanted one day and then thrown aside the next it happened to yees when he was dropped by Dior and it happened to Corey when he was no longer an object of Fascination yees and Carl survived as a result of their extraordinary capabilities yees obsessed with his creativity and driven by emotions Carl obsessed with his work ethic and fear of being left behind neither of them would have been as successful as they were if they maintained a completely rational Lifestyle the notion of the tortured artist would not exist in Utopia yees and Carl alike knew the ups and downs associated with both their work and personal lives yees especially had to know that he could not go on living that way forever those around yees and Carl who frequently partook in the rampant Hedonism throughout the' 7s were soon met with the harsh aftermath of it all they understood the risks yet indulged anyway perhaps that is the human Spirit many would rather exercise their freedom to indulge than give it all up for a rational remarkable existence again the vast majority of information in this video came from Alicia Drake's book The Beautiful fall fashion genius and glorious excess in 1970s Paris I highly recommend checking it out as it features far more depth compared to the summary that I have presented today thank you for watching

Channel: FH TV

Views: 167,546

Keywords: yves saint laurent, karl lagerfeld, the beautiful fall: Fashion, genius, and glorious excess in 1970s paris, alicia drake, jacques de bascher, YSL, fashion, ready to wear, paris 1970, haute couture, fashion drama, fhtv, FH TV, pierre berge, fashion history, video essay, fashion essay, chanel, chloe fashion, high fashion

Id: 2Evz8Hxv5JY

Length: 42min 14sec (2534 seconds)

Published: Thu Mar 28 2024