Saint Laurent frequently appears in EZContacts roundups for a reason—they create stunning frames. They are often chic, timeless, and stylish, embodying the brand’s edgy, elegant, and effortless ethos.
Because the brand focuses on everlasting design, Saint Laurent frames are for everybody to wear. Saint Laurent has been a leading name in designer eyewear, but they were a prominent house of fashion even before that. Originally a House of Haute Couture, Yves Saint Laurent founded his eponymous brand in 1961 – but the road to getting there wasn’t easy.
History of the brand
Yves Saint Laurent was born in Algeria but moved to Paris to attend fashion school. After winning a design contest, he caught the attention of a Vogue executive who was so struck by his designs, they decided to share them with Christian Dior. From then on – at just 17 years old – Yves became Dior’s protégé.
The Dior runway featured more and more of his designs as the years passed so it was no surprise that Yves would be named creative director of the House of Dior following his Christian’s death. He was the youngest couturier at just 21 years old. He debuted his first collection for the brand in 1958 and it was widely adored, though the following collections did not receive the same praise.
After designing just six collections for the brand, Yves was drafted into military duty, which left a significant impact on him, personally and professionally. He faced challenges during his service, including a period of mental health struggles, but he rose above, returned to fashion, and continued to build his influential career.
Defying gender norms
One of Yves Saint Laurent’s most defining traits is his refusal to conform to gender norms. Take his 1966 Autumn/Winter collection, where he introduced his most iconic piece – the tuxedo.
At the time, the tuxedo jacket was meant only for me and to be worn in a smoking room to protect one’s clothing from the smell of cigars. He took this idea, using the same structural identity of the jacket, but adapted it to the female body. While it turned out to be ahead of its time for haute couture clientele, it eventually caught on to become a classic and a fixture in each of his collections into the early 2000s.
For a woman, the tuxedo is an indispensable garment in which she will always feel in style, for it is a stylish garment and a not a fashionable garment. Fashions fade, style is eternal. – Yves Saint Laurent
In the same collection, Le Smoking, he debuted pants for women which was still rather controversial. He was a pioneer for pushing the boundaries then and remains a priority for the brand today. Saint Laurent’s contemporary collections still feature the same outlook on gender norms and adopting an androgynous aesthetic.
Saint Laurent’s take on sunglasses reflects the brand’s commitment to bold, innovative ideas while maintaining effortless elegance. They focus on capturing the spirit of modernity, which allows any gender of wearers to partake in their emblematic frames.
We’ve rounded up a collection of their most iconic black frames for everybody in honor of Yves Saint Laurent’s enduring history.
Shop Saint Laurent frames
Want to explore the Saint Laurent catalog available at EZContacts?
Here you go.
Sunglasses | Eyeglasses | Women’s | Men’s | Unisex
