A blockbuster exhibit in Paris exploring Yves Saint Laurent’s legacy, reveals the enduring influence of the Middle East on his work.

Saint Laurent enjoyed a loyal following amongst some of the best-dressed women in the Middle East throughout his stellar career. Couture connoisseurs including Farah Diba, Princess Firyal of Jordan and Princess Haifa al Faysal of Saudia Arabia flocked to his shows.

On display is Saint Laurent’s famous 1988 dinner jacket covered in Van Gogh’s “Irises” by Lesage.  One client, Lamia Khashoggi, had the cardigan remade into a floor length evening gown. Also on display is an evening coat from the same collection, embroidered with passages by Marcel Proust that Khashoggi had ordered.

Born in Oran, Algeria, Saint Laurent drew inspiration from his birthplace and the broader North Africa and Middle East region in several key collections. The exhibition devotes a section to these designs, including pieces from his Spring/Summer 1991 collection, inspired by Leon Bakst’s ballet Scheherazade. Models wafted down the runway in towering fezzes and feather-light harem trousers bearing prints Saint Laurent sketched in Marrakech.

When his muse Loulou de la Falaise married Thadee Klossowski in 1977, Saint Laurent created an Arabian fantasy of a wedding ensemble for the ceremony, complete with jewelled turban. Later in the evening de la Falaise changed into another oriental-inspired ensemble by the designer.

Mentioned in the show is Lebanese socialite Mouna Ayoub, who was one of Saint Laurent’s most loyal clients. Ayoub, who owns one of the largest private couture collections in the world, loaned one of her most famous pieces to the exhibition: a black evening gown in shimmering lace with pink satin side bows from the S/S ’91 show.