YSL's Paris: Le Smoking & The Left Bank

The Rive Gauche Revolution

YSL opened his Rive Gauche boutique in 1966 and changed fashion forever. Ready-to-wear, democratic, and unapologetically modern. The original boutique on Rue de Tournon is now a museum — the sketches are still on the walls.

Le Smoking

He put women in tuxedos and the world gasped. The YSL museum on Avenue Marceau shows the original Le Smoking alongside his most radical designs. A vintage Saint Laurent blazer from the same era can be found in the Marais — expect to pay €200-€800.

The Marrakech Connection

His garden in Marrakech inspired his boldest colors. The Majorelle Garden-blue pieces in the museum trace directly back to Morocco. End the day at L'Hôtel on Rue des Beaux-Arts — Saint Laurent lived here, and the bar still serves a YSL cocktail.