Playing with Yves Saint Laurent's paper dolls

When I saw the movie Yves Saint Laurent (2014) by Jalil Lespert I noticed the hanging sketches that looked like Tom Tierney's paper dolls. I went to see more closely and compared with the paper dolls of the book Yves St. Laurent Fashion Review (Dover, 1998) I saw that they were not the same. But I had no idea that there was such a beautiful collection of paper dolls made by Yves Saint Laurent (YSL).

Yves St. Laurent: Fashion Review by Tom Tierney (Dover, 1998)

As a result of a Google search, images of YSL's real paper dolls have appeared. These were released by the Foundation Pierre Bergé - Yves Saint Laurent who opened their archives to the public.

This is a collection of paper dolls made by the still shy YSL teenager in the early 50's. They are about 11 dolls with different poses and hairstyles, were created 443 garments/ out fits with tabs,105 accessories, 7 patterns and two program books for the collections which group them (Autumn-Winter 1953-1954 and 1954-55).

Paper doll Suzy and her daytime dress , 1953. © Musée Yves Saint Laurent Paris

To make his paper dolls, he made cut outs of his favourite models from his mother's fashion magazines of his times (Vogue, Jardin des Modes, and Paris Match) and drew his colourful outfits with gouache, ink, and watercolours . Some had names such as: Suzy, Bettina, Véra, Florence, Ivy. 
You can see more on the Fondation Pierre Bergé - Yves Saint Laurent website.

Yves Saint Laurent and his paper dolls, Paris, 1957. 

"I was secretly cutting up my mother's dresses to clothe my theater characters, whose costumes I made out of fabric... I had built a wooden theater and made sets for the plays being performed in Paris. models, figurines that I dressed in. Then I would put them in my theater. "- Yves Saint Laurent, De fil en aiguille, dir. David Teboul.

All about Yves de Catherine Örmen (Larousse, 2016) a retrospective catalogue full of surprises and facsimile documents reproduces some paper dolls.

All about Yves by Catherine Örmen (Larousse, 2016)

These would be the first models of the house of his dreams called Yves Mathieu Saint Laurent Haute Couture Place Vendôme and that would bear testimony of his genius and sense of style.

Bibliography:
www.fondation-pb-ysl.net 
Photograph of Yves Saint Laureant and his paper dolls by François Pagès.© François PAGES/PARISMATCH/SCOOP

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Quando vi o filme Yves Saint Laurent (Jalil Lespert, 2014) reparei nos croquis de moda pendurados que me pareciam paper dolls de Tom Tierney. Fui ver com mais atenção e comparando com as paper dolls do livro Yves St. Laurent Fashion Review (Dover, 1998) vi que não eram as mesmas. Mas não imaginava que houvesse uma colecção tão bonita de paper dolls feitas por Yves Saint Laurent (YSL).

Por acaso no resultado de uma  pesquisa  no Google surgiram imagens das verdadeiras paper dolls de YSL. Estas foram divulgadas pela Fundação Pierre Bergé – Yves Saint Laurent que abriu os seus arquivos ao público.

Trata-se de uma colecção de paper dolls feitas pelo ainda tímido adolescente YSL no princípio da década 50. Foram criadas cerca de 11 bonecas com poses e penteados diferentes, 443 vestidos, 105 acessórios, 7 padrões e dois programas para as duas colecções em que se agrupavam (Outono-Inverno1953-1954 e 1954-55). 

Para fazer as suas bonecas de papel ele fazia recortes das suas modelos preferidas das revistas de moda da época, que eram da sua mãe (Vogue, Jardin des Modes e Paris Match)  e, desenhava os seus outfits coloridos com gouache, tinta da china e aguarelas. Algumas tinham nomes tais como: Suzy, Bettina, Véra, Florence, Ivy. Podem ver mais no website da Fondation Pierre Bergé – Yves Saint Laurent. 
"I was secretly cutting up my mother’s dresses to clothe my theater characters, whose costumes I made out of fabric. … I had built a wooden theater and was making sets for the plays being performed in Paris. I was recreating those sets and making the models, figurines that I dressed in fabric. Then I would put them in my theater."- Yves Saint Laurent, De fil en aiguille, dir. David Teboul.
All about Yves de Catherine Örmen (Larousse, 2016) é um catalogo retrospectivo cheio de surpresas e documentos facsimilados que reproduz algumas paper dolls. 
Estas seriam as primeiras modelos da casa dos seus sonhos chamada Yves Mathieu Saint Laurent Haute Couture Place Vendôme e que dariam testemunho da sua genialidade e senso de estilo.