Article by Meredith Keeve a.k.a. The Wandering Parisian

Those of us who remember the fashions of the 70s and 80s remember French Haute Couture and Ready to Wear couturier Yves Saint Laurent and his unparalleled and unprecedented use of colour. Navy and black; orange and red; pink and orange – these unusual combinations made the most traditional tailoring extremely exciting.  These extraordinary combinations made the designer, unambiguously, one of fashion’s greatest colourists .

While current designer (for the renamed SAINT LAURENT) Anthony Vaccarello’s vision may at times have been controversial, his 2020 collection, shown recently during Paris Fashion Week, is clearly inspired by YSL’s colour palette.

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As the photos illustrate (photos taken from the FASHIONNETWORK.com site) the successful mix of colour is about tone, hue and value, the shade and the intensity of the colours used need to work together and complement one another. Another factor is the use of varying textures: leather, latex, chiffon and wool all play off of one another adding depth to their differences.

If you wore it first time around……..

For women over fifty: one should be aware of the dictum that if you were around to see it the first time, you should not wear it the second time…

However, as fashion is both endlessly new and endlessly cyclical it is key to choose the elements that are most flattering to you: while you may not choose the transparent braless look worn by the runway models, certainly the blazer/blouse combos in bright colours might be fabulous with silver hair or on a fifty plus woman no matter what her hair colour. You might also skip the latex leggings with which many of the looks are shown on the runway, but a suede or leather trouser or skirt from previous seasons might complete your look brilliantly with a more subtle appeal.

Remember being fashionable is not about slavish copying of runway looks, but rather about incorporating details from current seasons into a look that you find both flattering and comfortable.

One last point about Yves Saint Laurent:

You may be aware that the former studio and couture house on the Avenue Marceau has become a museum devoted to the designer. Changing exhibits include the upcoming exhibition on Betty Catroux, the famous muse of the designer. Talk about stylish!

Meredith Keeve

Now a Personal Stylist, Meredith Keeve has worked in publishing, fashion, cinema, interior decoration and art in Paris, London, Miami and Toronto. Working as a wardrobe consultant with her French mentor, she learned to identify the ‘closet’ issues women face – the emotional/intellectual relationship to clothes and how clothing can impact and influence how a woman presents and perceives herself. MK chose to specialize in the 50+ customer, attuning her understanding of that customer’s particular needs and desires to determine and implement optimal wardrobe solutions for each individual, in every circumstance.

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