Musée Yves Saint Laurent Paris

When passing through Paris in October, I knew I had a few key stops along the way, and the Musée Yves Saint Laurent Paris was one of them. The museum is

"Located in the legendary hôtel particulier at 5 avenue Marceau where Yves Saint Laurent spent nearly thirty years designing his collections from 1974 to 2002." 

The museum begins with a very elegant (French) entryway..where I thought it was the perfect opportunity to take a selfie (so American of me).

On the walls are photos and sketches from each of Saint Laurent's collections inspired by various cultures around the world.

Then...we actually get to see the clothes, highlighted by strategically placed spotlights that show off these elegant garments.

"I had noticed men were much more confident in their clothes. So I sought through trouser suits, trench coats, tuxedos, and pea coats to give women the same confidence." - Yves Saint Laurent

"The big difference between couture and ready-to-wear is not design. It is the fabrics, the handwork, and the fittings. The act of creation is the same." - Yves Saint Laurent

"Isn't elegance forgetting what one is wearing?" - Yves Saint Laurent

This headpiece is everything.

Upstairs, we finally emerge into the light.

"When I look at the five thousand garments and then all this music hall work, I ask myself how I could have done it all. I was a phenomenon!"  - Yves Saint Laurent

While I love clothes (probably too much), my favorite part of the museum was Saint Laurent's studio.

Seeing how each collection was planned out in these giant books (see above), as well as seeing books by the artists that gave him inspiration on the shelves was so interesting.

It also seems Saint Laurent had a particular love for French bulldogs since there were little figurines of the dog everywhere.

Overall "the exhibition spaces recreate the original atmosphere of the haute couture house" and it really did feel like he could come walking into the studio and start working at any second.

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