Scarf, Yves Saint Laurent,

1964

As a designer at L. Abraham + Co. Seiden AG, Erich Biehle was already working in the early 1960s on Yves Saint Laurent’s very first scarf collection. This silk scarf from a slightly later date features a strictly geometrical and symmetrical-mirrored composition, highlighted by the black/white contrast. By wearing the scarf tied in different ways, the black bars are broken up and reassembled into new patterns. On closer inspection, it becomes evident that the lines were hand-drawn—Biehle never used a ruler when crafting his designs. The scarf thus subtly draws attention to one of the main characteristics of his work, especially apparent in his floral and ornamental designs: many of his works originate in painted designs, often realized with a special wax technique on Japan paper. As scarves were to become for the fashion houses important brand vehicles that helped to disseminate their name, the label design played a vital role. Here Biehle has inserted a conspicuously eye-catching block label in a contrasting color—a design element that, like the geometric composition, would reappear on subsequent YSL scarves. The freehand lettering specified by the fashion house fits in perfectly with Biehle’s hand-drawn lines. The scarf offered the customer a way to purchase a more affordable and yet more personal item from the house of YSL. (Rhiannon Ash)