Art & YSL

In an article by the WWD Staff writers, tribute is payed to one of the most celebrated designers of our the time, the late Yves Saint Laurent.

A tribute payed in artwork.

This week, thousands of Parisians flocked to the Grand Palais to view the designer's 700+ piece collection that once filled his apartment that he shared with his parter, Pierre Bergé. Most of the art is up for sale. Auction goer Betty Catroux noted, “'It’s only now I realise how lucky I was to live among such beauty,' adding she’ll accompany Bergé through 'every minute' of the three-day sale. 'We are a close family you know. We never leave each other’s side.'"

The art is being displayed in replica rooms of Saint Laurent's apartment, and the special set up allows visitors to see the art close up, almost within arms reach. The reason? Scenographer Nathalie Crinière says, “that's because they’re still part of life, there’re not in a museum yet,” he explained. Crinière directed a team of 250 people who worked on the installation non-stop for a week.

The art is a hodge-podge of sculpture, classical pieces, and post-modern works. Renowned painters, including Picasso, Matisse, Mondrian and Degas, round out the beautiful display. “'It’s a beautiful homage but it’s very sad, I saw these pieces several times in Yves Saint-Laurent’s homes,' mused Hubert de Givenchy."