Timeless and iconic: the Bowes Museum hosts UK’s first ever Yves Saint Laurent retrospective
Fans of fashion history have until 25 October to make the pilgrimage to what may count as England’s remotest major museum, which has staged a remarkable coup by bagging the UK’s first ever Yves Saint Laurent retrospective. The Bowes Museum is a vast French château plonked improbably down next to the pretty little north-country market town of Barnard Castle, surrounded by the spectacularly beautiful landscape of upper Teesdale. Built in the mid-19th century by John and Joséphine Bowes to house their vast treasury of art, furniture and porcelain, the museum also has a superb fashion collection. Joséphine was a French actress and the couple spent most of their lives in Paris (where John bought her a theatre), so the connection with Yves Saint Laurent actually makes brilliant sense.
It’s certainly a thrilling exhibition, tracing the precociously talented Saint Laurent’s stratospheric rise from dreamy schoolboy (the show includes some of the paper mannequins he dressed in cut-out couture) to Christian Dior’s right-hand man and successor, before setting up on his own with his long-time partner Pierre Bergé, the business brains behind YSL. Every aspect of Saint Laurent’s 40-year career is represented, from the original ‘Le Smoking’ tuxedo to his enchantingly bright-eyed celebrations of Mondrian and pop, and his effortlessly stylish sketches for the runway shows, still pinned with sample fabrics; there's even an entire wall of hats in every shape and size, revealing that his imagination was every bit as fertile when it came to accessories.
Introducing the show, Bergé – now in his 80s – rather touchingly described their relationship as one in which ‘creativity always came first. We were never motivated by business: the business was only a success because of Yves’ creative genius.’ If only more ‘creative’ businesses could say the same today.
ADDRESS
The Bowes Museum
Barnard Castle
County Durham
DL12 8NP
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
-
Serenade your senses at Farasha Farmhouse in Marrakech
Farasha Farmhouse is a serene escape hidden on the outer reaches of Marrakech
By Nicola Chilton Published
-
‘Bio-spaces’ exhibition at Roca London Gallery celebrates biophilic design
‘Bio-Spaces: regenerative, resilient futures’ opens at the Roca London Gallery as ‘a call to action to stop designing nature out’
By Clare Dowdy Published
-
Les Lalanne’s surreal world takes over Venice
‘Planète Lalanne’, presented by Ben Brown Fine Arts, takes over Palazzo Rota Ivancich, with a cast of blue hippos, woolly sheep and giant grasshoppers
By Hannah Silver Published
-
The best fashion moments at Milan Design Week 2024
Scarlett Conlon discovers the moments fashion met design at Salone del Mobile and Milan Design Week 2024, as Loewe, Hermès, Bottega Veneta, Prada and more staged intriguing presentations and launches across the city
By Scarlett Conlon Published
-
Extraordinary runway sets from the A/W 2024 shows
12 scene-stealing runway sets and show spaces from A/W 2024 fashion month, featuring Murano-glass cacti, rubber armchairs, flashing orbs and more
By Jack Moss Published
-
Saint Laurent closes fashion month with a secret menswear show
Anthony Vaccarello held his latest Saint Laurent menswear show at Paris’ Bourse de Commerce – Pinault Collection on Tuesday evening, rounding out fashion month with a collection infused with a louche, 1980s sensuality
By Jack Moss Published
-
Saint Laurent’s Champs-Élysées store showcases Anthony Vaccarello’s monumental vision
A vast new Saint Laurent store on Paris’ Champs-Élysées reflects creative director Anthony Vaccarello’s rigorous, monumental approach to design
By Jack Moss Published
-
This season’s womenswear channels freedom and escape
These S/S 2024 womenswear looks promise an escape from the everyday, and are photographed amid the otherwordly landscapes of the Canary Islands for the March 2024 Style Issue of Wallpaper*
By Jack Moss Published
-
Introducing Wallpaper* March 2024: The Style Issue
Wallpaper* March 2024 is on sale now, featuring the looks of the season, Demna on modernity at Balenciaga, Rem Koolhaas on 25 years of Prada sets, and Saint Laurent’s new Paris store
By Sarah Douglas Published
-
Best in shows: Wallpaper* picks S/S 2024’s standout looks
As part of Wallpaper’s Design Awards 2024 issue, we select the winning S/S 2024 runway collections – and their defining looks – at the start of a new season in style
By Jack Moss Published
-
Saint Laurent’s L’Atelier Maroquinerie is a Florentine temple to craft
The vast new 28,700 sq m space in Scandicci, Florence sees Saint Laurent invest in a new generation of craftspeople, whose work straddles technical innovation and traditional know-how
By Jack Moss Published