Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Bronson: FASHION DESIGNERS Burberry & Yves Saint Laurent

Dear fashion conscience and unconscience readers,

BURBERRY

"everything must be design for a purpose"

Thomas Burberry (1835 - 1926)

Burberry was started by Thomas Burberry, a 21 year old draper's apprentice, when he opened a small outfitters shop in Basingstoke Hampshire, England 1856. By 1870 Burberry's commitment to quality and innovation in fabric and outwear design earned him a loyal following; growing from a small shop into an 'emporium'.

Gabarine, the breathable, weatherproof and tearproof fabric developed by Burberry was introduced in 1880.


In 1891, Burberry began trading as Thomas Burberry and Sons. Burberry's business opened a shop in the West End of London at 30 Haymarket. Later on in 1901 the Equestrian Knight trademark appeared for the first time accompanied by the Latin word 'Prorsum' meaning 'forward'. 

1895 saw Burberry development of the Tielocken the predecessor of the trench coat, was adopted by British officers during the Boer War. Burberry was then commissioned on the outbreak of World War I to adapt its earlier Tielocken officer's coat for modern and new combat requirements. Burberry added epaulettes and 'D'rings. The new design saw the birth of the 'Trench Coat'.



(Prior to World War I, in 1911) Burberry had also equipped the Norwegian explorer Captain Roald Amundsen, on his expedition to become the first man to reach the South Pole.

The Burberry Check, was registered as a trademark in 1920, and was introduced into the lining to the trench coat throughout the 20's.

Burberry was awarded a Royal Warrant, by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 1955, and a second Royal Warrant was granted to Burberry in 1989 by HRH The Prince of Wales.

Today, Burberry is an internationally recognised luxury brand with a worldwide distribution network.






Burberry links-

Yves Saint Laurent

“Fashions fade, style is eternal.”

YVES SAINT LAURENT
born: 01-08-1936
birth place: Oran, Algeria


The son of an insurance company manager, Yves Henri Donat Mathieu Saint Laurent left home at the age of 17 to work for the French designer Christian Dior.



After winning first prize in the International Wool Secretariat contest for his cocktail dress design in 1954, Yves Saint Laurent landed the job of Haute Couture designer when 
Dior died in 1957. 



In 1960, he was conscripted into the French Army. His spell in the service was short-lived however, and he was transferred into a French mental hospital suffering from stress, where he underwent psychiatric treatment, including electroshock therapy, for a nervous breakdown.

In 1962, in the wake of his nervous breakdown, Saint Laurent was released from Dior and started his own label, YSL, financed by his companion, Pierre Bergé. The Rive Gauche boutiques for women were established in 1966, and men's wear followed in the 1970s. 

'YSL' is perhaps most famous for "Le Smoking" tuxedo jacket, see-through blouses, peasant blouses, bolero jackets, pantsuits and smocks. By feminising the basic shapes of the male wardrobe, YSL set new standards for world fashion. He not only adapted the male tuxedo for women, but also safari jackets, pea jackets and flying suits.

His 1971 radical ‘40s’ collection shocked critics, as did the advertising campaign for the first YSL men’s fragrance, ‘Pour Homme’ which featured Yves himself posing nude. In 1977, YSL launched the very popular ‘Opium’ perfume.

In 1993, the Saint Laurent fashion house was sold to the pharmaceuticals company, Sanofi, for approximately $600,000,000. 



YSL held a 300-model fashion extravaganza at the final match of the 1998 World Cup football tournament in the Stade de France, and the following year he was awarded a 'Lifetime Achievement’ award from The Council of Fashion Designers of America.


He died on June 1, 2008 of brain cancer at his residence in Paris. According to The New York Times a few days before he died, Saint Laurent and Bergé were joined in a same-sex civil union known as a "civil pact of solidarity" in France.

Yves Saint Laurent links-

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