The iconic fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent had an unhappy childhood getting bullied at school in Algeria for being different. At college in Paris, he excelled and was soon spotted by Christian Dior. When Dior died suddenly, Saint Laurent became head designer of a major fashion house at the age of 21.

But initial acclaim was followed by mixed reviews, triggering self-doubt and anxiety which worsened after he was conscripted into the French army resulting in his hospitalization and treatment with shock therapy.

Although he continued to battle against prejudice, bouts of illness and substance misuse he triumphed over these and launched his own successful brand.

He retired in his 60s and became increasingly reclusive until his death in 2008, but he left behind a legacy of innovation, modernism and pushing at boundaries that continues to influence designers to this day.

Yves Saint Laurent - From Darkness to Creativity | Biographical Documentary

Finding Out More:
The biography by Alice Rawsthorn is a good starting point but a little sensationalist when describing his mental health history. The bad boy biography (Mauvais Garçon) by Marie-Dominique Lelièvre is interesting but not yet translated into English. The two biopics are both fairly heavy going, but I have added them to my Amazon store page if you are interested: https://www.amazon.com/shop/professor...

Academic References;
Henckes, N. (2016). French deinstitutionalisation or the irony of success: psychiatrists, the state and the transformation of the French psychiatric system, 1945–2010. Deinstitutionalisation and After: Post-War Psychiatry in the Western World, 115-133.
Kim, G. (2019). Behind the glamour: how the mental illnesses of fashion designers are portrayed through brand aesthetics. International Journal of Arts & Sciences, 12(1).

Copyright Disclaimer:
The primary purpose of this video is educational. I have tried to use material in the public domain or with Creative Commons Non-attribution licences wherever possible. Where attribution is required, I have listed this below. I believe that any copyright material used falls under the remit of Fair Use, but if any content owners would like to dispute this, I will not hesitate to immediately remove that content. It is not my intention to infringe on content ownership in any way. If you happen to find your art or images in the video, please let me know and I will be glad to credit you.

Images:
Yves Saint Laurent Museum
Wikimedia Commons
My own images and videos taken at the Majorelle Gardens in Marrakesh

Music:
Mesmerize by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...
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Marty Gots a Plan by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...
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Luminous Rain by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...
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Video produced by Graeme Yorston and Tom Yorston.