It boggles the mind that there are not more Lifetime worthy biopics about Yves Henri Donat Mathieu-Saint-Laurent. As one of the 20th century’s enduring fashion designers, Saint Laurent’s history has been transmitted largely through literature and a titanic legacy that would shape the careers of Tom Ford, Stefano Pilati and Hedi Slimane. Sure, there was that one actually not terrible documentary, L’Amour Fou, but beyond that France’s filmmakers have shied from the prospect of bringing YSL’s life to the silver screen, no doubt pissing themselves liberally over the public outcry that may arise should they fuck it up. That, however, is about to change.
Entitled simply Yves Saint Laurent, the 2014 biopic produced by Groupe M6 in partnership with The Weinstein Company looks to address a wide expanse of time in the designer’s life. The trailer gives us glimpses of what to expect, including an extended look at the creation of revolutionary YSL staples (the Mondrian shift dress and the Le Smoking tuxedo suit), the designer’s relationship with Pierre Berge and, of course, his ridiculous drug fueled romps at Studio 54. As far as blessings go, the film has received the cardinal one, with Pierre Berge granting the production team access to the YSL design archives. Though the majority of the film will likely be centered around the designer’s contributions to womenswear here’s hoping that YSL’s infamous safari jackets make a suitable cameo.
