Yves Saint Laurent: Naked Ambition in High Fashion
by Hella Cliques July 4, 2025
THE JUICY MYTH:
In the 1970s, legendary designer Yves Saint Laurent proved that sometimes less is truly more—by designing an entire haute couture collection completely nude. Yes, nude. As in, birthday suit. The only thing he wore was his signature oversized glasses, because even creative genius needs to see what he’s sketching, darling.
While the story about Yves Saint Laurent designing an entire haute couture collection in the nude makes for deliciously snarky fashion gossip, there is no verifiable or credible historical source confirming that this actually happened. It's a fashion urban legend of sorts — one that’s been floated in anecdotes, interviews, and tabloid-level retrospectives, but not substantiated in reputable biographies or archival materials.
WHAT IS TRUE:
Yves Saint Laurent posed nude for photographer Jeanloup Sieff in 1971 to promote his new men's fragrance, YSL Pour Homme. This bold ad campaign did make waves and remains one of the most infamous fashion images of the 1970s. YSL admits that he deliberately created the ad to "create a scandal" and generate publicity.
Furthermore, he was known for working in a deeply personal and sometimes eccentric way, and often spoke about feeling "free" and "pure" when creating.
The idea that he felt creatively "uninhibited" without clothes has been suggested anecdotally in fashion circles but has no academic or biographical confirmation.
So while it's unlikely that Yves Saint Laurent designed in the nude as a regular practice, the theme of a "nude" or "naked" body was an important them in his designs.
Pieces from Yves Saint Laurent's 1970s collections—including those designed during his au naturel creative phase—can be found in several major fashion and art museums around the world. Here are some top places where his 1970s haute couture is preserved and occasionally exhibited:
🖼️ Musée Yves Saint Laurent Paris (France)
The Holy Grail. Located in YSL’s former couture house, this museum houses hundreds of original garments, including sketches, patterns, and pieces from his most iconic (and controversial) 1970s collections.
🧵 The Metropolitan Museum of Art – The Costume Institute (New York, USA)
The Met holds several Saint Laurent pieces across various decades. If you’re lucky, a 1970s look might pop up in a special exhibition or archive appointment.
Their massive fashion collection includes select Yves Saint Laurent garments and accessories, particularly from his daring mid-century to late-century period.
If you're feeling extra, book a trip to Paris and make it a YSL pilgrimage. Just maybe keep your clothes on. Make sure to tell us all about it by posting on our DID IT! page.
