Yves Saint Laurent's elegant clothes have always been an asset to any woman who wears them. Now, they've become a serious investment.
The day after the French couturier announced his retirement on Jan. 7, second-hand stores, vintage dealers and consignment shops around New York City were flooded with calls from Saint Laurent fans and collectors. They were looking for his key pieces, such as the "le smoking" women's tuxedo from the late '70s, the khaki safari suit from the same era and anything from the "Russian Peasant" collection.
Almost overnight, key YSL pieces have doubled in value, estimates Keni Valenti, a well-known designer clothing dealer. "Saint Laurent has become even more collectible than he already was," he says. "I got seven calls Tuesday."
Since Saint Laurent's announcement, Valenti sold a smoking suit to a 30something cosmetics executive for $4,000. "She was like, 'Whoa, I've got to have this!"' Valenti says. A stylist bought a $500 YSL peasant blouse.
"Right now, people want anything from Saint Laurent collections," says Allan Pollock, owner of Allan & Suzi, an New York City consignment store. In recent days, he sold a YSL suit for $600 and four mint-condition, man-tailored white blouses for $100 apiece. Pollock even noticed several savvy customers scouring the racks for YSL on Jan. 6, after they heard rumors of his retirement.
Suzi Kandel, Pollock's partner at Allan & Suzi, went to see what YSL pieces were stashed away in their Asbury Park, N.J., store. She discovered a candy-striped dress from the '80s. It's now on display in their Manhattan shop and priced at $2,000.
"I don't know if I'll sell it at that price," Pollock says, "but it caused quite a stir all weekend."
Joan Judge, owner of Brooklyn Public Couture Limited, recently gave a customer the deal of the century. She sold her a size 4 black velvet Rive Gauche dress with a pink taffeta ruffle for just $400 — the day before Saint Laurent's press conference.
Just a few days later, she surely could have asked something closer to the original price of $4,000. "The dress is 10 or 12 years old and in mint condition," Judge says.
For some dealers, Saint Laurent's retirement has inspired them to revel in their own prized possessions. Consider a gray cape from the '70s owned by Cesar Padilla of Cherry, a boutique that specializes in vintage designer clothes. "It's massive. Very 'Sleepy Hollow'-ish," he says, adding that he estimates its worth at $3,500. "But I don't really want to sell it."
The same goes for the couture midnight blue wool evening coat from Saint Laurent's designer days at Christian Dior. "It's very rare and special," Padilla says.
And it has a great history. "I found it at the 26th Street flea market a couple years ago," he says. He won't say what he paid, but hints that it was a steal.
"When I found it, it was hanging on a fence."
WEEKEND BRIDAL SHOW
If your beloved surprised you with a diamond over the holidays — or you're anticipating one for Valentine's Day — you might want to set aside time this weekend to take in the wedding wares at the 17th annual BrideShow '02.
The show runs Friday and Saturday at the Pittsburgh Hilton & Towers, Downtown, and features exhibits from more than 140 Pittsburgh-area merchants.
Brides can compare services offered by bridal and tuxedo salons, photographers, videographers, florists, reception facilities, limousine services, bakeries, entertainment agencies, ice sculptors and more. There also will be fashion shows featuring bridal wear from collections by Mon Cheri, Alfred Angelo, Jessica McClintock, Bill Levkoff and Watters and Watters.
The show runs from 4 to 9 p.m. Friday and 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. Fashion shows are at 6 and 7:30 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m., 1 and 3 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $5.50 in advance at all Kaufmann's Bridal Gift Registries. Tickets are $7.50 at the door. Grooms are admitted free Friday night with their fiancees.
Details: (412) 422-7433 or www.brideshow.com .
TIPS ON WEARING TROUSERS
Cambio, upscale manufacturer of fashion-savvy women's pants and jeans, offers tips on how to wear the season's trousers:
MAKEUP ARTIST'S ONLINE MUSINGS
Makeup artist Kevyn Aucoin recently launched a tribute to himself in the form of a Web site: kevynaucoin.com . The site has a section called "People I Love" (right now devoted to Gwyneth Paltrow); a career highlights page (going back to a 1984 Rolling Stone cover featuring Tina Turner); a page for candid shots of Aucoin and his famous friends (Winona Ryder, Kate Moss, Nicole Kidman); and a column for his thoughts ("Today I will include myself on that list of people I love. With all my imperfections, confusion and uniqueness.") There's also a makeup-lesson area where he's giving his 31-year-old sister an eyebrow overhaul.
A commerce page hopes you'll drop $1,000 on mascara, eyelash curler and a set of 12 makeup brushes in a signed lacquer box (without the box, the products sell for $393.50).
FINALLY, A PURSE FOR CLUBBING
New Yorker Emily Blumenthal is hoping her invention, the Yasmena evening bag ( www.yasmena.net ), will become the Post-it Note of the club scene — that oh-so-simple thing we all suddenly realize we can't do without. But instead of organizing our lives, her bags are supposed to solve the age-old problem of what to do with your purse when it's time to hit the dance floor.
Just big enough to hold a mobile phone, cash and some essential cosmetics, the bags have a band at one end that you slip over your wrist and a smaller one at the other end that attaches to your middle finger, anchoring the bag to your hand. They come in beaded, lace-covered, denim, canvas and satin styles and start at $85 on www.girlshop.com .
FREE SAMPLES FROM THE WEB
If you check out CCB-Paris.com , a cosmetics company site carrying only European brands, you can send a friend (or 10) a postcard for free with a personal message on it and a sample of either agnes b.'s Apricot Complexion Enhancer or Cosmence's Age-Defying Cream tucked inside. But if you do, beware: CCB-Paris and its marketing department now have your address along with your friends', so maybe you'd better gauge your pals' junk-mail tolerance before you add them to the mailing list.
