Radioactive Vision: Some like it haute at Denver Yves Saint Laurent exhibit

Male nudity, exposed breasts, scooter-riding thugs in leather jackets, and a love rival being burned alive – I’d expect these things from the latest “must-see” summer action adventure film – not so much from a fashion show. But that’s exactly what I saw when I attended the Yves Saint Laurent Retrospective at the Denver Art Museum.

Now I enjoy the occasional episode of Project Runway, but I certainly did not get the gay fashion gene. Putting together a smart little outfit is something best left to Mr. Waste. He’s the one with an entire bedroom converted into a walk-in closet filled with Kenneth Cole. The only Calvin I know had a tiger named Hobbes. My knowledge of the history of fashion is on par with how to get to third base with a person of the opposite sex: Nil.

So I was quite unprepared to discover how Yves Saint Laurent had bitch-slapped the Parisian world of haute couture. (Haut couture means “high fashion” for those whose only schooling of French has been your tongue rolling around in somebody else’s mouth).

Little Yvie first studied under Christian Dior in 1955, where he learned how to make cute, high-waisted party dresses for French housewives. When Christian suddenly up-and-died of a stroke, apprentice Yves took over the House of Dior. But it would not last long. Along came the revolution of the 1960s. Yves drew inspiration from the beatniks and gang members, the “leather jackets.” When he released his “Beat Look” featuring turtlenecks and leather jackets trimmed in fur, the world of high fashion was not amused. Yves was kicked right out the Dior.

Influenced by the garb of peasants, the military and foreign cultures, Yves opened his own studio and launched a successful and shocking career in the world of fashion. One of his most notable contributions was introducing the pantsuit into women’s high fashion. He invented the women’s tuxedo that he labeled “Le Smoking.” When New York socialite Nan Kempner wore her Le Smoking tuxedo to a Manhattan restaurant in 1968, the maitre d’ was appalled and told her she couldn’t dine in a pair of trousers. Kempner promptly dropped her pants and proceeded to dine in just the jacket.

Yves, who was gay, loved shaking things up. When he launched his first cologne, Pour Homme, he posed nude in just a pair of thick black-rimmed glasses. Those photos are part of the exhibit at the Denver Art Museum.

We are very lucky to have the Yves’ collection here in Denver. The show has only appeared in two other cities in the world, Paris and Madrid. I am sure Yves would appreciate the fact that New York City, our country’s fashion capitol, is not playing host to his exhibit. It’s one more way he can bitch slap the world of fashion from beyond the grave.

I viewed the Yves Saint Laurent exhibit during a press sneak preview event. There were reporters from
all over the world in attendance, including one from New York City.

“Ha, ha. We got the exhibit and you didn’t,” is what I really wanted to say. But I just bit my tongue. Bless my heart.

That just would not be a proper warm Western greeting. Besides, Denver-based Mondo won Project Runway All-Stars. Mondo winning and the Yves Saint Laurent exhibit coming to Denver: A coincidence? I think not.

As I looked around the exhibit, I took a critical eye to the outfits being worn by visitors. After all, this is a major fashion exhibition. What you wear IS going to get noticed.

Andrea Fulton, Director of Communications for the Denver Art Museum, was squeezed into a cute black cocktail dress pair and tasteful black pumps.

“I do have to dress up more, that’s for sure,” she said. “If I could have my way, I would wear jeans every day of my life.

In fact my co-workers were giving me grief earlier saying they didn’t know I even owned heels and a dress.”

Andrea could have worn pants. Yves Saint Laurent would have celebrated that.