Vera Wang was “totally seduced” by the late Yves Saint Laurent’s designs.
The 67-year-old fashion designer has hinted the co-founder of the luxury designer brand – who died in 2008 aged 71 – sparked her love of fashion because his creations appealed to her “tomboy” tendencies, although the designs were also merged with femininity.
Speaking about the fashion designer – who set up the eponymous label, also known as YSL, with Pierre Bergé – the creative mastermind told Vogue.com: “My mother and I became massive clients of Saint Laurent.
“I guess he just totally seduced me because I’m a bit of a tomboy, and yet he also understood a certain femininity. The range of what he covered, it was a social commentary, it wasn’t only about fashion.
“It’s so couture; it was meant to be.”
Vera – who became an independent bridal creator almost 30 years ago when she launched her namesake brand – has revealed the first pair of shoes she fell in love with was a pair of charcoal grey patent Mary Jane shoes.
Speaking about the garment, she said: “I fell in love with that little pair [of shoes]; something resonated.”
However, John Galliano’s creations for Maison Margiela in the haute couture fashion shows last year made her “remember” why she is so passionate about the fashion industry.
She explained: “It made me remember why I fell in love with fashion. I was screaming like Polly Mellen.”
Prior to embarking on a career designing highly coveted garments for her extensive celebrity clientele, which includes Victoria Beckham, singers Alicia Keys and Mariah Carey, as well as Michelle Obama, Vera was the European editor for American Vogue, although she claimed her role didn’t draw on her “creative side”, which was the reason she quit.
Speaking of her career, she said: “”I was getting tickets and making sure cars were arranged. I had always been on the creative side, and this was nothing to do with that. The time difference – getting calls at dinner and no one had cell phones, so you would have to go and pick up a phone at a bar. So I didn’t last.”
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