yves saint laurent

Winning Bid On Yves Saint Laurent's Bronzes Was A Protest Not A Promise of Payment

Filed under: Auctions

Last week's Yves Saint Laurent art sale generated world record revenue but they may have to take one sale off the books. The much-disputed Qing bronzes which were part of the auction's final sale day were bought by Cai Mingchao, who says that although he placed the winning bid for the two bronze statues he does not intend to pay for them. The statues, one with the head of a rat and one with the head of a rabbit sold for €15,745,000 each. The National Treasures Fund, a group backed by the Chinese Ministry of Culture which seeks to buy Chinese art and antiquities from around the world and bring them home announced Cai Mingchao's identity at a news conference. He is an adviser to the National Treasures Fund and has said that he did his duty as a Chinese citizen by bidding for the pieces.

The Qing bronzes had been severed from a water clock by British and French troops from the Summer Palace in 1860 and many Chinese people saw the bronzes as stolen goods up for sale even though the bronze heads have been bought and sold multiple times since then. The Chinese government protested the sale but the French government ruled that the sale could go forward. According to an article on Forbes Pierre Berge had said he would give back the sculptures for free if Tibet is made free, an offer which did not sit well with the Chinese government.

Bloomberg quotes Christie's Hong Kong-based spokeswoman Kate Malin as saying that the auction house "would work with the buyer and vendor to come up with a solution." Christie's could sue Cai Mingchao to get the money but he is adamant that he will not be paying.

Source

Tags: auction, bronze, china, pierre berge, PierreBerge, qing, qing dynasty, QingDynasty, yves saint laurent, YvesSaintLaurent

Yves Saint Laurent Sale Sets Many Records

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Art

The three-day auction of the Collection of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé has closed and the numbers are impressive. The sale brought in 373,935,500 euros (around $483 million) over three days. The sale was estimated to bring in 300 million euros total. . ArtDaily reports that 95.5% of lots sold by lot, and 93% sold by value (for comparison, art sales rates last fall during the Christie's and Sotheby's sales were in the 50-70% range). The sale set a world record for the most valuable private collection sold at auction. It was also the highest grossing sale on record in Europe setting records in a variety of categories.

The public exhibition at the Grand Palais in Paris was attended by 30,000 visitors over three days and over 1500 people gathered for each of the sales. The top sale item was the "Cuckoos on a blue and pink carpet" which sold the first day for 35.9 million euros. A record was set for a Marcel Duchamp ready-made "La Belle Haleine – Eau de Voilette" by Marcel Duchamp, with the assistance by Man Ray in 1921 which sold for 8.9 million euros setting a record for the artist. James Ensor's monumental Le désespoir de Pierrot sold for 4.9 million euros, a world record for the artist at auction. Hean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres' Portrait de la comtesse de la Rue, 1890, sold for 2 million euros which was also a world record for the artist at auction.

The sale of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé's silver collection set a record as the most valuable silver sale ever in the world. The auction of 20th Century Decorative Arts set a record for a collection of 20th century decorative arts with 95% of lots sold by lot. It saw 12 individual artist records set and set a a world record for a collection of 20th century decorative arts. The February 25th sale of Sculpture and Works of Art brought in 24.2 million euros. The top lot was a 16th century bronze double head of Janus which sold for 2 million euros, a record for a 16th century French bronze. There's no denying this was an impressive sale and we will likely not see quite an amazing breadth and quality of work in a single collection hit the market again for a while.

The proceeds of the sale will go to the Pierre Bergé /Yves Saint Laurent Foundation which preserves the design legacy of Yves Saint Laurent, and to a new foundation for medical research and the fight against AIDS.

Source

Tags: auction, paris, pierre berge, PierreBerge, yves saint laurent, YvesSaintLaurent

Yves Saint Laurent's Seat, $28 Million

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions

The hits keep coming from the Paris sale of the collection of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berge by Christie's. The three-day sale set records for a second day in Paris including one for the leather armchair shown at right which sold for over $28 million (21,905,000 euros), the most for any piece of 20th-century design at auction. And as Bloomberg News reports, the buyer was the dealer who sold it to the Saint Laurent in the early 1970s.

The chair, is an Art Deco piece by ~~French~~ Irish designer Eileen Gray made around 1917 to 1919. It had a presale estimate of that topped out at three million euros. The second day haul for the event was 101.3 milliion euros which was more than double the top estimate. The sales are fantastic news for Christie's and have brought renewed enthusiasm to the art world (although I do agree with the WSJ's Robert Frank that these sales result, while phenomenal, don't indicate a general art market upswing but rather the impressiveness of this one collection). The sale finishes up today with sculpture and Asian arts.

Tags: art, auction, christies, pierre berge, PierreBerge, yves saint laurent, YvesSaintLaurent

Yves Saint Laurent Sale Enlivens The Art World

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Art

On a day when the U.S. stock market hit epic lows, the art market in Paris was in high form. The much-anticipated first sales of the Collection of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berge by Christie's did not disappoint. The auctions have brought in 206 million euros (approximately $261 million) so far with two more days of sales left to go. World records fell left and right as hundreds of buyers from around the world crowded into the Grand Palais exhibition hall. Records were set for works by Piet Mondrian, sculptor Constantin Brancusi and Marchel Duchamp.

A Matisse painting "Cuckoos on a blue and pink carpet" went for 32 million euros, far above the estimate of 18 million euros and many works sold briskly. The show was not without its misees though. The Picasso work "Musical Instruments on a Table" missed its guide price, a fact that suited Pierre Berge just fine. He had As he told the AFP, he's happy because now he can keep the painting for himself.

The sales represent not just great works of art but the sum of a life spent collecting and studying things of great beauty. Pierre Berge said that he decided to sell the collection after Saint Laurent died because it was something they had created together and selling it was the only possible solution. The expensive returns are a tribute to the fine taste of the collectors and they are also bringing a funds for good causes. Proceeds will be split between medical research and the fight against AIDS and the Berge/Saint Laurent Foundation which will conserve garments, accessories and sketches that celebrate Yves Saint Laurent's design talent.

Tomorrow brings the sale of the Old Masters 19th-century art and Art Deco pieces and Wednesday brings sculptures, archaeological pieces, ceramics and Asian art.

Source

Tags: art, auction, yves saint laurent, YvesSaintLaurent

Christie's Yves Saint Laurent Show Photoblog

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Art

The much-anticipated auction of the collection of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé starts Monday in Paris and Christie's is pulling out all the stops for the event. For those of us not able to be there and see the art ourselves, Christie's had created a handy Flickr sideshow of the public viewing going on this weekend at the Grand Palais. The viewing is a chance to see the astounding breadth of the collection which includes works by Mondrian, Léger, Picasso and Matisse as well as Art Deco furniture, fine silver, Old Master paintings and antiquities. The exhibition also recreates parts of the apartments in which the collection was housed. The Christie's blog will chronicle all the auction including shots of the sale room and images of the big sales through the final sale on Wednesday February 25.

[via Art Market Monitor]

Source

Tags: auction, christies, pierre berge, PierreBerge, yves saint laurent, YvesSaintLaurent

Claudia Schiffer Stars for D&G and YSL

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel

The Supermodel Comeback, which we've been keeping track of for a while now, shows no signs of abating anytime soon. Picking up from fall, the new Spring / Summer 2009 ad campaigns star a slew of famous faces. Foremost, fresh off a wintery Chanel campaign for Karl Lagerfeld, the eternallly gorgeous Claudia Schiffer is starring in a sun-slathered series of Cruise Collection ads (above) for Dolce & Gabbana shot by Steven Klein. She has also landed the new Yves Saint Laurent Spring ad campaign, taking over from Naomi Campbell. The YSL ads were shot in front of the legendary Hollywood sign by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin. Meanwhile Claudia is also re-upping as the face of Salvatore Ferragamo.

Tags: Ad campaign, AdCampaign, Claudia Schiffer, ClaudiaSchiffer, Dolce Gabbana, DolceGabbana, Supermodel, Supermodels, YSL, Yves Saint Laurent, YvesSaintLaurent

'White Christmas' Inspired Bags, Handbag of the Day

by Laura Malesich (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Handbags, Holiday Guides

'Tis the season for blankets of snow and frosted branches, ski trips and furry boots, and new handbags to match the winter white theme. Whether you are shopping at Saks, Bergdorfs, Nordstroms, Neimans or Barneys there are clean, colorless clutches, totes and hobos to suit the season. Here are a few of my favorites inspired by the holiday tune, 'White Christmas' that are chic, sophisticated and frosty including the Nablak Vernice Tote from Prada pictured above.

Coach's Op Art Sabrina - $298 at Nordstroms
Bottega Veneta's Medium Veneta Hobo - $1,550 at Barneys
Yves Saint Laurent Medium Calypso Bag - $2,095 at Saks
Dolce and Gabbana's Washed Leather Dome - $2,125 at Bergdorfs
Escada Ostrich Shoulder Bag, Small - $3,990 at Neimans

Gallery: 'White Christmas' Handbags

Dolce & Gabbana Washes Leather Dome in White

Tags: barneys, bergdorf goodman, BergdorfGoodman, bottega veneta, BottegaVeneta, coach, dolce and gabbana, DolceAndGabbana, escada, neiman marcus, NeimanMarcus, neimans, norstroms, prada, saks, saks fifth avenue, SaksFifthAvenue, white christmas, white handbag, white handbags, white-christmas, WhiteChristmas, WhiteHandbag, WhiteHandbags, yves saint laurent, YvesSaintLaurent

Kate Moss Builds Her Brand

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel

On the heels of Kate Moss' already impressive fall ad campaign successes comes news of more coups scored by the eternally gorgeous supermodel: two more major contracts and some serious magazine exposure. On the ad campaign front, her latest big bucks gigs come courtesy of Yves Saint Laurent's beauty line (above) and renowned jeweler Bulgari, both shot in classic black-and-white.

In addition, she appears on the covers of the latest issues of both Vogue and Interview; in the latter she poses totally nude, and she also appears topless (yet again) in a stunning spread for the September issue of W magazine. All this comes as she launches her new clothing line for British retailer Topshop, to great fanfare. We predict the Kate Moss brand will develop into an extremely profitable luxury goods enterprise, with many more product lines to come.

Tags: Ad campaigns, AdCampaigns, Bulgari, Interview magazine, InterviewMagazine, Kate Moss, KateMoss, Supermodels, Topshop, Vogue, yves saint laurent, YvesSaintLaurent

Christie's To Auction Off St. Laurent's Art Collection

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Art

The honor of auctioning off the private art collection of French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent and his partner Pierre Berge, shown above at Saint Laurent's funeral, is a huge get for Christie's. Christie's will work with the auction house Pierre Berge and Associates on a planned February 2009 auction. The items to be sold will be announced in September. The collection is composed of several hundred pieces including Renaissance jewelry, paintings by Picasso and Matisse and manuscripts by authors such as Gustave Flaubert and Andre Gide. Experts say the auction could bring in close to $800 million.

Source

Tags: art, auction, christies, yves saint laurent, YvesSaintLaurent

Fashion Brands Still Sold on Supermodels for Fall

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel

Back in April we commented on the fact that several major fashion houses had chosen to bring back '90s supermodels such as Claudia Schiffer, Christy Turlington and Naomi Campbell for their spring ad campaigns. We speculated at the time that the revival was no mere flash in the pan and would continue for subsequent seasons; the new crop of fall ad campaigns has now proved our prognostications correct. Top of the heap is Linda Evangelista's new series of ads for Prada shot by Steven Meisel (above), which rates as a major comeback for the ageless beauty.

In addition, both Chanel and Salvatore Ferragamo have kept Schiffer for their new fall campaigns, while Turlington returns for Escada as well. Elsewhere, Naomi Campbell appears for Yves Saint Laurent and Amber Valletta does the honors for DSquared, Iceberg and David Yurman; while as we mentioned previously Eva Herzigova and Kate Moss heat up the new Louis Vuitton and Just Cavalli campaigns respectively. See the gallery for more.

Gallery: More Supermodels for Spring

Claudia Schiffer on a recent cover of German Vogue

Tags: Ad campaigns, AdCampaigns, Amber Valletta, AmberValletta, Chanel, christy turlington, ChristyTurlington, Claudia Schiffer, ClaudiaSchiffer, Escada, Eva Herzigova, EvaHerzigova, Kate Moss, KateMoss, linda evangelista, LindaEvangelista, louis vuitton, LouisVuitton, naomi campbell, NaomiCampbell, Prada, Salvatore Ferragamo, SalvatoreFerragamo, Steven Meisel, StevenMeisel, Supermodels, Yves Saint Laurent, YvesSaintLaurent

Kim Kardashian's Charity Fashion Auction

by Laura Malesich (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions

Model and starlet, Kim Kardashian is auctioning off some of her favorite accessories, shoes and clothing to benefit the Dream Foundation -- a non-profit that helps the dreams of terminally-ill adults come true. From now until June 8th, Kim's items will be on eBay ready for bidding. The gallery below shows just a few of the special finds available -- Jimmy Choo, Cartier and Yves Saint Laurent are just a few of the names dropped at this event. I like the extra bonus of supporting such a great organization while purchasing star-touched items.

[via News4Jax]

Gallery: Kim's Closet on eBay

Christian Louboutin Gold Sandals Size 37

Source

Tags: cartier, Dream Foundation, dream-foundation, DreamFoundation, ebay, expire-images2009-5-29, jimmy choo, JimmyChoo, kim kardashian, kim-kardashian, KimKardashian, yves saint laurent, YvesSaintLaurent

Yves Saint Laurent Exhibit Opens in Montreal

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

In conjunction with the 40th anniversary of the house of Yves Saint Laurent, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts is staging a major retrospective of the designer's creations, the first such show in 25 years. Open as of Thursday, the exhibition "develops the revolutionary nature of a body of work that has marked both the past and the present with a new definition of femininity and left a signature that transcends fashion." Pictured above is one of his most famous designs, the women's tuxedo known as "Le Smoking," as photographed by Helmut Newton in 1975.

The show is divided into four main themes: The Stroke of a Pencil, where "the designer's idea is followed from the original sketch"; The Yves Saint Laurent Revolution, where "feminized versions of men's attire rub shoulders with seductive apparel"; The Palette, which "shows how traditional rules of color harmony were reversed in new contrasts inspired by cross-fertilization"; and our favorite, Lyrical Sources, which "explores the historical, literary -- Marcel Proust, Oscar Wilde, Louis Aragon, Jean Cocteau -- and artistic influences that were interpreted and translated by this genius of couture." The exhibition runs until Sept. 28 and then travels to San Francisco's de Young Museum.

Gallery: Yves Saint Laurent Exhibit

Tags: Fashion, Helmut Newton, HelmutNewton, Jean Cocteau, JeanCocteau, Marcel Proust, MarcelProust, Montreal, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, MontrealMuseumOfFineArts, YSL, Yves Saint Laurent, YvesSaintLaurent

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

The Classicist: Dior and YSL in Paris, 1962

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Books, The Classicist

In 1962, Esquire magazine sent photographer Jerry Schatzberg to Paris to cover the behind-the-scenes action at the Christian Dior and Yves Saint Laurent shows, at what promised to be an historic fashion moment. Indeed it was, and Schatzberg's shoot turned out brilliantly; the full results have finally been collected in book form, under the title Paris 1962: Yves Saint Laurent and Christian Dior, The Early Collections. Schatzberg was no mere paparazzo; a renowned fashion photographer and filmmaker, he's perhaps best known for the cover of Bob Dylan's 1966 album Blonde on Blonde. His journalistic, documentary style ran counter to the usual carefully-posed fashion shoots of the time, which gave the 1962 session added urgency. But first, a little background.

Famed designer Christian Dior had died five years earlier, in 1957. Yves Saint Laurent, only 22 years old at the time, had been named as his replacement, creating a stunning new collection in a matter of weeks. Laurent held the appointment for only a short time, however, as he was soon conscripted to serve in the French army during the Algerian War of Independence. The fragile fashionista lasted less than a month before a nervous breakdown saw him committed to a mental institution. Meanwhile, Marc Bohan had taken over at Dior, leading Saint Laurent to file for breach of contract.

Gallery: Dior & YSL, Then and Now

Tags: Christian Dior, ChristianDior, Dior, Esquire, Helmut Newton, HelmutNewton, Jerry Schatzberg, JerrySchatzberg, John Galliano, JohnGalliano, LVMH, Paris, Pierre Berg, PierreBerg, YSL, Yves Saint Laurent, YvesSaintLaurent

Continue reading “The Classicist: Dior and YSL in Paris, 1962”

YSL Mombasa Collector, Handbag of the Day

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Handbags

The Mombasa Collector bag from Yves Saint Laurent is all about the bright florals mixed with a certain old fashioned vibe. Canvas with bold and colorful embroidery lend it a casual feminine feeling, and then the handle made of deer horn adds something else altogether that I can't quite put my finger on. It's a shoulder bag that's tall and thin (10" high but only 1.5" wide) so you better like digging as things might be a little hard to find if you like to tote a lot of stuff. I think this is one that could easily be in style for more than just a summer or two. $1795

Gallery: YSL Mombasa Collector