Wow – we think this is the first time that six Paris museums have ever got together to present a collective exhibition, and the relationship between Yves Saint Laurent‘s dresses and the works of art that inspired them seems like the perfect theme!

Now here’s a real event, something Paris has never seen before – six of the city’s museums getting together for a shared exhibition. The occasion? Well it’s been 60 years since the very first Yves Saint Laurent catwalk show, and at the time the genius designer was only 26 years old 😳

At the Musée d’Orsay near our hotels the emphasis will be on Saint Laurent’s love of Proust, with dresses created for a ‘Proust Ball’ held by the Baron and Baroness Guy de Rothschild in December of 1971.

Presented in the Salon de l’horloge, a beautiful space overlooking the Seins (and an Instagram fave), you’ll also be able to see other creations inspired by À la recherche du temps perdu – tuxedos, a dress made for Jane Birkin…

At the Pompidou Centre, the exhibition examines the influence of paintings on Yves Saint Laurent’s work, with an outfit inspired by Henri Matisse, dresses paying homage to Fernand Léger, Piet Mondrian and Picasso, and the famous nude portrait of the designer by Jeanloup Sieff, which created a veritable scandal when it was released back in 1970.

There are gorgeous dresses to be seen at the Paris Museum of Modern Art too (including some stunning satin evening dresses), set amongst the museum’s permanent collection. Expect homages to Matisse, Bonnard and others, plus another famous photo of the man himself, this time by a little-known artist by the name of Andy Warhol.

At the Louvre, there are some exceptional clothes and jaw-dropping items of jewellery presented in one of the museum’s most stunning rooms – the Galerie d’Apollon, which was created by Charles Le Brun for Louis XIV.

Yves Saint Laurent adored the works of Picasso, and paid homage to him a number of times during his career. The part of the exhibition being shown at the Picasso Museum shows some of the designer’s creations that are very much directly inspired by Picasso’s paintings…

And at the final venue, the Yves Saint Laurent Museum at 5 avenue Marceau, numerous archive pieces are on show, most for the first time ever, so as to get a glimpse into Saint Laurent’s creative process and pay homage to all the women and men who help the designer bring his vision to life.

Phew! There’s a lot to see if you like fashion – a huge amount!

You may also like to know that an English-language catalogue of the exhibition will be available 28th April (£35 here at amazon.co.uk).

Each exhibition is open until 15th May 2022, and for more details about opening times and entrance prices, here are the links:

Musée d’Orsay

Pompidou Centre

Paris Museum of Modern Art

The Louvre

Picasso Museum

Yves Saint Laurent Museum