"Chicago"
In the 1960s, the rise of youth-driven fashion challenged the relevance of the haute couture and its role in originating designs. Yves Saint Laurent’s final collection for Dior in 1960 drew upon beatnik and other nonconformist styles, reinterpreting them with couture materials and techniques.
His iconic “Chicago” jacket, for example, which clearly references motorcycle jackets, uses black crocodile trimmed with mink. While the collection proved too avant-garde for a conservative couture clientele, its elegant adaptation of street style presaged fashion’s future.
Saint Laurent founded his own couture house in 1961 and remained committed to preserving the artistry of the couture tradition, but he saw ready-to-wear as equally vital to the industry and used his pioneering Rive Gauche line as an opportunity for greater creative freedom.
His iconic “Chicago” jacket, for example, which clearly references motorcycle jackets, uses black crocodile trimmed with mink. While the collection proved too avant-garde for a conservative couture clientele, its elegant adaptation of street style presaged fashion’s future.
Saint Laurent founded his own couture house in 1961 and remained committed to preserving the artistry of the couture tradition, but he saw ready-to-wear as equally vital to the industry and used his pioneering Rive Gauche line as an opportunity for greater creative freedom.
Artwork Details
- Title: "Chicago"
- Couture Line: House of Dior (French, founded 1946)
- Designer: Yves Saint Laurent (French (born Algeria) Oran 1936–2008 Paris)
- Design House: House of Dior (French, founded 1946)
- Date: fall/winter 1960–61
- Culture: French
- Medium: crocodile, mink, silk
- Credit Line: Purchase, Friends of The Costume Institute Gifts, 2014
- Object Number: 2014.601
- Curatorial Department: The Costume Institute
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