Destinations: Yves Saint Laurent at Denver Art Museum

1: Black velvet sheath dress from Paris haute couture collection. Photo by Gilles Tapie. 2: Long evening ensemble from fall/winter 1983 haute couture collection. Photo by A. Guirkinger. 3: Yves Saint Laurent: The Retrospective. Photo by Jeff Wells, courtesy of Denver Art Museum. 4: Long evening dress inspired by Henri Matisse, fall/winter 1980. Photo by A. Guirkinger.

Prepare to be dazzled by Yves Saint Laurent: The Retrospective at the Denver Art Museum (DAM). A complete overview of the designer's 40 years of fabulous is on view at DAM - the only United States venue showing the exhibit - now through July 8.

Yves Saint Laurent: The Retrospective. Photo by Jeff Wells, courtesy of Denver Art Museum.

Photographs, drawings, films and other multimedia elements come together with a selection of 200 haute couture outfits to immerse you in an historical fashion experience. A walk through the thematically-organized presentation reveals the full arc of his career, from his first days at Dior in 1958 through his spectacular final runway collection in 2002.

Fashion Studio at the Denver Art Museum, in conjunction with Yves Saint Laurent: The Retrospective.
Photo by Jeff Wells; courtesy Denver Art Museum.

Yves Saint Laurent: The Retrospective explores:

• Birth of a Revolutionary Couturier: A display of Saint Laurent’s designs for Dior, including the 1958 “Trapeze” collection that anticipated the freedom movement of the 1960s.
• A Gender Revolution: See how Saint Laurent created a gender revolution by allowing women to express themselves freely, melding the flair of a man’s suit with the seductiveness of woman’s clothing.
• Yves Saint Laurent and Women: Clothing of the historic women who wore and supported Saint Laurent, including Princess Grace of Monaco and Paloma Picasso.
• Creating a Furor: Dedicated to his 1971 Scandal Collection that transported people back to the 1940s and a time of war and occupation.
• The Enchantment of the Exotic: Exploring the imaginary world of Saint Laurent, with a focus on his whimsical travels to China, India and Russia.
• Dialogue with Artists and Writers: Drawing direct lines between the designer and the artists he admired, like 20th century painter Piet Mondrian, whose distinctive style inspired Saint Laurent.
• The Last Ball: A succession of exquisite evening dresses from the glory days of haute couture.
• Le Smoking: A close look at 40 years of Saint Laurent creations through a wall of more than 30 tuxedos.
• The Colors of Yves Saint Laurent: Move through the collision of colors Saint Laurent famously used in his designs with vibrant examples from his collections and hundreds of fabric samples.