DECODING A MUSE

The inspiration for Yves Saint Laurent’s androgyne style, his muse, his “female double” as he loved calling her, is an exceptional woman of unique style and attitude. Betty Catroux, a socialite the designer met in a nightclub while they were both young, instantly captivated him with her boyish charm and men’s clothes, in a time (1968) when femininity was defined by specific archetypal codes. Her attitude towards clothes would define him and forever influence the way he perceived female fashion. She became his model, his muse, and her wardrobe today holds 180 haute couture and 138 pieces designed by the Saint Laurent Rive Gauche brand. Digging into this amazing wardrobe, Anthony Vaccarello, artistic director of Saint Laurent, approaches Betty Catroux’s wardrobe from an aesthetic perspective by selecting the pieces that best reveal her unique personality and ongoing influence on the label’s signature style.

His curation is embodied in Feminine Singular, a remarkable exhibition held at the Yves Saint Laurent museum until October 11, 2020, showcasing the relationship between creator and inspiration, personality and style: “She lives and breathes Saint Laurent. An allure, a mystery, an almost nefarious aspect, an elusive yet desirable nature, all that underlies the house’s aura, and you understand the magnitude of it when you meet Betty.” Anthony Vaccarello.
The approximately fifty designs that show the extent to which Betty Catroux embodied Yves Saint Laurent’s physical ideal and an attitude echoing the “masculine/feminine style”, were donated by Betty Catroux to the YSL-Pierre Berge foundation, paying tribute to this defining moment in her life as well as our fashion history.

museeyslparis.com

DECODING A MUSE

The inspiration for Yves Saint Laurent’s androgyne style, his muse, his “female double” as he loved calling her, is an exceptional woman of unique style and attitude. Betty Catroux, a socialite the designer met in a nightclub while they were both young, instantly captivated him with her boyish charm and men’s clothes, in a time (1968) when femininity was defined by specific archetypal codes. Her attitude towards clothes would define him and forever influence the way he perceived female fashion. She became his model, his muse, and her wardrobe today holds 180 haute couture and 138 pieces designed by the Saint Laurent Rive Gauche brand. Digging into this amazing wardrobe, Anthony Vaccarello, artistic director of Saint Laurent, approaches Betty Catroux’s wardrobe from an aesthetic perspective by selecting the pieces that best reveal her unique personality and ongoing influence on the label’s signature style.

His curation is embodied in Feminine Singular, a remarkable exhibition held at the Yves Saint Laurent museum until October 11, 2020, showcasing the relationship between creator and inspiration, personality and style: “She lives and breathes Saint Laurent. An allure, a mystery, an almost nefarious aspect, an elusive yet desirable nature, all that underlies the house’s aura, and you understand the magnitude of it when you meet Betty.” Anthony Vaccarello.
The approximately fifty designs that show the extent to which Betty Catroux embodied Yves Saint Laurent’s physical ideal and an attitude echoing the “masculine/feminine style”, were donated by Betty Catroux to the YSL-Pierre Berge foundation, paying tribute to this defining moment in her life as well as our fashion history.

museeyslparis.com

DECODING A MUSE

The inspiration for Yves Saint Laurent’s androgyne style, his muse, his “female double” as he loved calling her, is an exceptional woman of unique style and attitude. Betty Catroux, a socialite the designer met in a nightclub while they were both young, instantly captivated him with her boyish charm and men’s clothes, in a time (1968) when femininity was defined by specific archetypal codes. Her attitude towards clothes would define him and forever influence the way he perceived female fashion. She became his model, his muse, and her wardrobe today holds 180 haute couture and 138 pieces designed by the Saint Laurent Rive Gauche brand. Digging into this amazing wardrobe, Anthony Vaccarello, artistic director of Saint Laurent, approaches Betty Catroux’s wardrobe from an aesthetic perspective by selecting the pieces that best reveal her unique personality and ongoing influence on the label’s signature style.

His curation is embodied in Feminine Singular, a remarkable exhibition held at the Yves Saint Laurent museum until October 11, 2020, showcasing the relationship between creator and inspiration, personality and style: “She lives and breathes Saint Laurent. An allure, a mystery, an almost nefarious aspect, an elusive yet desirable nature, all that underlies the house’s aura, and you understand the magnitude of it when you meet Betty.” Anthony Vaccarello.
The approximately fifty designs that show the extent to which Betty Catroux embodied Yves Saint Laurent’s physical ideal and an attitude echoing the “masculine/feminine style”, were donated by Betty Catroux to the YSL-Pierre Berge foundation, paying tribute to this defining moment in her life as well as our fashion history.

museeyslparis.com