When I saw this German Vanity Fair cover, I was floored. I'd never seen this image of Yves Saint Laurent and now that I have, I can't stop marveling over it. I think it's because of what I've read about his life that has contributed to the power this picture has over me.
After Yves Saint Laurent's death, mentions of Alicia Drake's book The Beautiful Fall: Lagerfeld, Saint Laurent, and Glorious Excess in 1970s Paris were rampant on the fashion blogs. I'd never heard of the book but I love reading profiles about creative types so I picked it up and like its reviews suggested, it turned out to be one hell of a fascinating read.
What also led me to the book were these articles from NYT and IHT here, here and here. I was intrigued by his relationship with Pierre Bergé, lifelong business partner and supposedly ex-lover. The book offers a lot of insight into this intricate relationship. This is the guy that is essentially his life partner, caretaker and maker, because it seems that without Bergé, Saint Laurent might not have become the success and legend he is.
What was also tremendously interesting was how the book pitched Saint Laurent against Karl Lagerfeld. Lagerfeld fascinates me because I've always wondered if there is anyone in this world who knows the real him. Whether there is even a real him left in that carefully-designed package. It's probably apparent how he has turned his life into a story and his story into his life but to know that he has been actively doing that since his 20s is kinda of mind-boggling.
One stark difference the book made between the two is how Saint Laurent was a creator while Lagerfeld was like a sponge that absorbed everything that was going around him to come up with things that people wanted. Makes you think, doesn't it? To be a maker that pulls what is unimaginable to mere mortals out from thin air or to be a masterful regurgitator/prophet?
What also led me to the book were these articles from NYT and IHT here, here and here. I was intrigued by his relationship with Pierre Bergé, lifelong business partner and supposedly ex-lover. The book offers a lot of insight into this intricate relationship. This is the guy that is essentially his life partner, caretaker and maker, because it seems that without Bergé, Saint Laurent might not have become the success and legend he is.
What was also tremendously interesting was how the book pitched Saint Laurent against Karl Lagerfeld. Lagerfeld fascinates me because I've always wondered if there is anyone in this world who knows the real him. Whether there is even a real him left in that carefully-designed package. It's probably apparent how he has turned his life into a story and his story into his life but to know that he has been actively doing that since his 20s is kinda of mind-boggling.
One stark difference the book made between the two is how Saint Laurent was a creator while Lagerfeld was like a sponge that absorbed everything that was going around him to come up with things that people wanted. Makes you think, doesn't it? To be a maker that pulls what is unimaginable to mere mortals out from thin air or to be a masterful regurgitator/prophet?
No comments:
Post a Comment