YvesStLaurent

Second Yves Saint Laurent Auction Planned

Earlier this year the first sale of the Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé Collection was a bright light in the art auction world achieving record sales of over $480 million. This fall Christie's will try their luck again with the second sale from the collection which will take place in Paris on November 17, 18 and 19. As with the previous sale, proceeds will go to the Pierre Bergé /Yves Saint Laurent Foundation which preserves the design legacy of Yves Saint Laurent, and to a foundation for medical research and the fight against AIDS.

This sale will feature around 1200 works of art from Château Gabriel à Bénerville as well as from the Parisian residences of the two collectors. Like the last sale this one spans many of Christie''s departments: Old Masters and 19th Century Drawings and Paintings, Impressionist and Modern Art, Prints, Contemporary Art, Decorative Art, Furniture, Sculpture, Ceramics, Silver, Asian and Islamic Art, Antiquities, African and Australian Art, as well as pieces from Natural History, Books, Jewellery and Textiles. The value of the sale is estimated between €3 million to €4 million.

The two gentlemen decorated their homes with exquisite taste and Château Gabriel à Bénerville features many important antiques including 19th century mirrors, a Ming Dynasty Chinese basin dating to the early 16th century and Napoleon III sofas and armchairs. Yves Saint Laurent was inspired by Marcel Proust and his private quarters at the chateau were named for Charles Swann from À la recherche du temps perdu.

The blockbuster items from the Parisian apartments were already auctioned off last February but many smaller pieces will be up for sale this time. If you want just a touch of St. Laurent at a reasonable price you can pick up an Art Deco box or clock for a few hundred euros. This sale won't attract as much attention as the other one but it features many more objects of understated charm. Imagine carrying St. Laurent's crocodile-skin Hermès suitcases or even owning his last car, a 2007 Mercedes Benz S Class 350L.

Tags: art, christies, pierre berge, PierreBerge, yves st laurent, YvesStLaurent

The French Resistance: Paris Art Market Defies the World

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Art

In New York and London, art auction houses for ever dollar they can bring in, but the French have been able to fight back. The number of sales and lots brought to auction has remained stable year over year. And, in the first three months of the year, Paris put up better results than London or New York, thanks to the Pierre Bergé-Yves Saint-Laurent sale at the Grand Palais back in February. Historically, Paris has lagged these two cities, but its resilience this year has changed the game a bit.

For the first quarter, art prices in France came down only 5 percent, a level that's been maintained through the rest of the year, so far. Christie's bears much of the responsibility for this success, with some solid auctions this year, though Sotheby's has helped, as well, with a Contemporary Art auction that moved 95.2 percent of the lots offered. Also, Parisian auctions aren't as up-market as those in London and New York, which has muted the effects of the global financial crisis.

In addition to the Yves Saint Laurent sale, which brought in €373.5 million (€255 million for works of art), the late May auctions at Christie's and Sotheby's did perform well relative to past years. The summer is likely to be quiet, with smaller auctions in Paris, but Christie's is bringing a private collection to market with pieces by Henri Laurens, Hans Harp and Henri Michaux, among others. The numbers won't be eye-popping, but expect the momentum to continue.

Vive la resistance!

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Tags: art, art auction, art auctions, art market, ArtAuction, ArtAuctions, ArtMarket, artwork, auction, auction-house, auctionhouse, auctions, france, grand palais, GrandPalais, paris, parisfrance, pierre berge, PierreBerge, yves saint laurent, yves st laurent, YvesSaintLaurent, YvesStLaurent

YSL Warhol Potraits Pulled Over Classification Fracas

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Art

Should Yves Saint Laurent be filed under "glamour" or "artists?" The debate over this distinction has caused YSL's partner Pierre Berge to pull four Andy Warhol portraits of Saint Laurent from a major Paris exhibition. "Warhol's Wide World" is set to open on March 18 at the Grand Palais (the recent site of the YSL art auciton). Berge told the AFP that he has asked that the series of 1974 Saint Laurent pictures be removed from the part of the show showcasing other Warhol portraits of designers, such as Giorgio Armani or Sonia Rykiel, under the title "glamour." Berge told the curator he did not think that Saint Laurent belonged in this category, the curator did not change the place and so the pieces which belong to Berge, were withdrawn from the exhibit. Berge has said the YSL portraits could have instead been hung in the "artists" section because Saint Laurent was a designer but as Berge puts it, "I think he was more than that."

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Tags: andy warhol, AndyWarhol, pierre berge, PierreBerge, yves st laurent, YvesStLaurent

Yves St. Laurent Dead at 71

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Famous French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent died Sunday in Paris at the age of 71. Laurent will be remembered best perhaps for making menswear sexy for women. His Le Smoking tuxedo for women was considered shocking when it was created in 1966. He was also known for dressing Catherine Deneuve in smart skirts and coats in her turn as a lady of the evening in "Belle de Jour." Laurent retired from designing in 2002 and Gucci bought the YSL brand in 1999. As my colleague Jared Paul Stern mentioned last week, and exhibit of Yves St. Laurent's work is currently on display in Montreal (also see his recent column on Laurent's famed 1962 fashion show). He was also a man of great personal taste as his former New York apartment shows, he will be much missed in a world that often seems short of men of style.

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Tags: designer, fashion, paris, yves st laurent, YvesStLaurent

YSL Downtown Computer Case

by Star Sutherland (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Handbags

I've never fallen in love with a laptop bag but the stunning YSL Downtown Computer Case is in a league of it's own! Finely crafted in Italy from luxurious black patent leather, embellished with gold hardware featuring a sturdy working lock and key. And the bottom is stamped with a large YSL logo, so chic. The adjustable shoulder strap and double zipper closure offer convenience while the inside zip pocket keeps you organized. Did I mention I'm obsessed with this bag? Available on YSL.com for $1,795. I'm saving up!

Tags: handbag, YSL, YSL Downtown Computer Case, YslDowntownComputerCase, yves saint laurent, yves st laurent, YvesSaintLaurent, YvesStLaurent

Yves St. Laurent's New York Pad, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Today's estate comes to us from the Wall Street Journal's Private Properties section. It is the elegant apartment of Yves St. Laurent and his business partner Pierre Berge. The apartment is located in the swanky Pierre hotel which is home to that blockbuster $70 million listing. The apartment was decorated by the late Jed Johnson, whose client list included Mick Jagger and Richard Gere. The home has a combined living-dining room with hand-stenciled linen wall coverings, leather-lined mahogany dressing areas and Central Park views. St. Laurent and Berge bought the New York apartment in 1978 but haven't stayed there a lot recently. The home has two bedrooms each with custom leather-lined mahogany dressing areas and mahogany and marble ensuite baths. It was recently reduced to $7.75 million. After the jump, how a gentleman bathes.

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Tags: estate of the day, new york real estate, pierre berge, pierre hotel, ysl, yves st laurent, YvesStLaurent

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Yves St Laurent Yse Satchel, Handbag of the Day

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Handbags

Sleek and simple are two words that can be used to describe the Yves St Laurent Yse Satchel, although they certainly can't entirely encompass all the traits of this bag. The large satchel (11 1/2"H x 18"W x 5"D) is made in a warm, beige leather and is accented with soft, suede trim. The strap can be looped over the shoulder or held in hand, adding extra versatility, and there are small metal feet to protect the base of the bag. A dangling key tag adds a bit of interest without drawing too much attention to the bag, though the gold hardware gives it a special, luxurious edge. Price: $1,695.