Yves Saint Laurent Labels: History and How to Date Them
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Yves Saint Laurent (1936 to 2008) opened his own couture house in 1962 after succeeding Christian Dior. His lines started at known dates, so the line name on the label (couture, Rive Gauche, Encore) is a quick test of whether a piece can be as old as claimed.
Company history
The Vintage Fashion Guild (VFG) records that Saint Laurent became head designer at Dior on Dior's death in 1957, with his Trapeze collection for spring 1958, and was later replaced there by Marc Bohan. He opened his own couture house in 1962 and established the Rive Gauche ready-to-wear line in 1966. Key collections include Mondrian (1965), Le Smoking tuxedo suits (1967 onward), Safari suits (1968) and the Russian collection (1976). The Encore secondary line was introduced in 1993 for the US market. He retired in 2002 and the couture atelier closed; Rive Gauche continued under Tom Ford from 2000, then Stefano Pilati, and in 2012 the company became Saint Laurent Paris.
Label timeline
| Label or clue | Approximate dates | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Christian Dior label, Trapeze line | Spring 1958 | His Dior work carries Dior's label |
| Yves Saint Laurent couture | 1962 to 2002 | His own couture house |
| Rive Gauche | From 1966 | A Rive Gauche label on an early-1960s-looking piece does not fit |
| Encore | From 1993 | Secondary line for the US |
| Saint Laurent Paris | From 2012 | Modern |
What it helps date
- Le Smoking and the pantsuit are part of the 1970s story in our hub; Saint Laurent is also listed among 1960s Paris names and 1980s designers.
- Line dates are a core test in designer label fakes and the vintage or reproduction checklist.
Values
The 1970s hub counts 40 Saint Laurent lots at Augusta Auctions from $250 to $1,812, median $500. Our hats and handbags values guide lists a 1960s YSL velvet cloche at about $163 (Barnebys). Prices are estimates as of 2026.
check sold prices for yves saint laurent vintage rive gauche on eBay
Sources
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Guides that mention Yves Saint Laurent
- 1960s Vintage Clothing: How to Date and Value ItDate and value 1960s clothing: early-60s polish to mod and hippie looks, new synthetics, coil zippers, label laws, and 2026 price ranges.
- 1970s Vintage Clothing: How to Date and Value ItDate and value 1970s clothing: hippie, prairie, disco and designer-jeans looks, polyester and Qiana, care labels from 1972, and 2026 price ranges.
- 1980s Vintage Clothing: How to Date and Value ItDate and value 1980s clothing: power shoulders, aerobics, preppy and designer looks, labels and care tags, fakes and reissues, plus 2026 price ranges.
- How to Spot Fake Designer Labels on Vintage ClothingTell a genuine vintage designer piece from a counterfeit, licensed product or adaptation by checking the label, construction, fabric and history.
Related
- How to Spot Fake Designer Labels on Vintage ClothingTell a genuine vintage designer piece from a counterfeit, licensed product or adaptation by checking the label, construction, fabric and history.
- Vintage Hat and Handbag Values: Hermès, Chanel, Coach, Leiber and More2026 price ranges for vintage handbags (Hermès, Chanel, Coach, Leiber, mesh, Lucite) and hats (Stetson, Daché, Schiaparelli), from sold data.
- Is It Vintage or a Reproduction? A ChecklistA clue-by-clue checklist for telling genuine vintage from reproductions: zippers, seams, thread, fibers, buttons, labels, tees, designer tags and aging.
- ACWA Union Labels: History and How to Date ThemDate men's suits, coats and shirts by the ACWA union label: the first label of 1916, the 1949 design with and without the registered mark, and ACTWU.