Exhibitions happen in all sorts of ways, even quite by accident. Surprisingly, that’s how the big spring show — a restrospective of the works of Yves Saint Laurent — at the Denver Art Museum came about.
The exhibition, which begins on Mar. 25, will display more than 200 haute couture outfits by Saint Laurent, drawn from his 40-year careers. Curated by Florence Müller, with the cooperation of the Fondation Pierre Bergè-Yves Saint Laurent, it was first shown at the Petit Palais, Musée des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Paris, in 2010. In the city of light on a visit, Christophe Heinrich, DAM’s director, decided to have a look-see. Eying the long line, he tried to use his director’s pass to avoid the wait. Petit Palais officials refused him, and sent him to the back. Though there was a two-and-a-half hour wait, Heinrich pulled out his smart phone, handled his emails and remained patient.
As he told me on a recent visit to New York, he loved the show, and decided to inquire about bringing it to Denver. At the time, the organizers had no plans to travel it to the U.S. When Heinrich asked, they offered to send a smaller version. He perservered.  Long negotiations about content (he wanted everything; the organizers didn’t want to send all of it) and cost ensued. In the end, the DAM got the whole show — for how much, I do not know.
I am not always big on fashion exhibitions, but Saint Laurent passes muster, in my book. In the course of his career, he made  made gorgeous and innovative creations that have given the exhibition shape.  One section, for example, deals with the freedom he brought to women’s clothing, while another explores his “1971 Scandal Collection,” inspired by the 1940s and a France under occupation. There will be his Mondrian dresses, his smoking jacket collection, his evening gowns from their glory days, and more. Details are here.
DAM is issuing timed-tickets, at $22 for general adult admission (which is normally $10 for Colorado residents and $13 for others) for this exhibit. It’s already had publicity, with the Denver Post calling it “the biggest fashion show to hit Denver — perhaps ever,” in this Mar. 9 article in the Denver Post.
It’s important for museums like Denver, where not a lot of tourists go to see art, to keep up momentum, to get people excited and try to make visiting the museum a habit. Last year, Marvelous Mud/Summer of Clay drew a lot of visitors. Now YSL and for the fall, the DAM is organizing Becoming van Gogh.  All three are exclusive to Denver, which — while not always my choice — helps that museum.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of the Denver Art Museum