yves saint laurent

Extraordinary Fall 1991 Yves Saint Laurent Well Documented Gold Brocade Coat W Jewel Buttons

The twin of this coat was photoed with Yves Saint Laurent himself, backstage during the Fall runway show by Roxanne Lowit. We also found runway footage of the coat as it walked the catwalk that season. It is an exceptional rare and wonderful piece by Yves Saint Laurent. These gold brocade pieces are what defined that season and I am very pleased to have found this example. It is one of the only gold one I have ever come across and it is in mint condition. It is magical and is a definitive piece that you instantly identify as a YSL piece. 

The coat is made from a gold wool and metallic thread brocade that has an embroidered gold design woven through the fabric. This is done so that it has a slightly raised feel to it and gives the coat the beautiful texture that it has. The two parts of the design also allow for a play on the tones of gold used and the raised parts have a more metallic lame feel to them which makes the brocade pattern really pop. The coat perfectly represents this time period and what he was doing design wise. You can see the transition from the opulence and over the top feel of his earlier Russian collection and how he was slowly moving into simpler, sleeker shapes for the 1990s without sacrificing his love of high glamour and theatrical components. That touch of excess from the 1980s is still there through that gold fabrication, but the shape is getting slightly sleeker and more powerful in feel then his earlier collections. The collar is high to frame the neck line. Curved vertical seaming runs down the front and back from the shoulder. This draws the waist in and gives the illusion of more shape. The skirting of the coat is cut to be full and have that Russian feel to it. It is inset into the waist by a series of soft pleases and you can slip your hands into the hidden pockets to give it even more volume if you wish. The sleeves are magic. Each is set high into the shoulder so they cap and pouf at the top. They continue to be wide and narrow down just a touch to the wrist. Each cuff ends in a series of three gold toned metal and rhinestone encrusted buttons. These are set into proper dressmakers buttonholes that are decorative. Five larger versions of the same buttons run down the front to close the jacket. The buttons are a thing of beauty in themselves. With this one I think that if you wanted you could even add a series of hidden hook and eye under the waist so that you could close it all the way down and have it play double duty as a dress. It is amazing on the body and one of my favourite YSL pieces I have ever had in the shop. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a black silk satin. It closes at the front with the buttons. Padding in each shoulder. Tagged a vintage YSL 34 and has a generous cut through the waist and bust. Pockets along each hip. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. It is a medium weight coat

Sleeves: 24"
Wide set shoulders: 16"
Bust: 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Bodice: 17" from top of bodice to waist
Skirt: 28" from waist to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# C599

Reference Photos/Video: (1) Fall 1991 Yves Saint Laurent Runway Collection. /  (2) Yves Saint Laurent, Avenue Marceau à Paris, March 1991. Photo by Roxanne Lowit.

This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.

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Please review all measurements carefully. More often than not, vintage garments do not fit any size category exactly. If in doubt, measure a garment of your own that fits and is a similar cut and compare it's measurements to the listed measurements below.

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