4 things you might not have known about Loulou de la Falaise
Long-time Yves Saint Laurent muse and collaborator Loulou de la Falaise passed away this weekend at the age of 63. Most know her for her relationship with the legendary designer and her bohemian way of accessorizing outfits with turbans, headscarves, and her oversized baubles, but we didn’t think that was enough. We’ve rounded up our favourite facts and anecdotes sure to live on in Loulou’s legacy:
1. She hated being thought of as a muse rather than a collaborator:
“I became [Yves Saint Laurent’s] right hand. He never did anything without me, but I kept the atmosphere light. If he acted neurotic, I’d say, ‘Don’t be so silly.’ I thought, ‘Nobody’s going to have fun in clothes if you don’t enjoy making them.'” [Vogue Italia]
2. She kept artisanal jewelery-making alive in the ’70s:
“We had boys who knit metal thread into fish and shells (as well as a woman), who would make jewels out of painted cardboard. Someone would come and show me a bracelet and we would do an entire collection around it. There were no limits. It was gypsy-like. And it was a very generous enterprise. We kept a lot of people alive. It must have cost a fortune but you did not think about it in those days.” [Vogue UK]
3. After working with YSL for 30 years, de la Falaise launched her own line that she sold in two boutiques in Paris.
“Accessories have an important role in our stressful lives,” she once said. “If you’re going out to dinner and you haven’t had the time to go home to change, you can take off your jacket and put on some jewellery.” [The Local]
4. In 2008, she designed jewellery for long-time friend Oscar de la Renta. The collection included de la Falaise’s trademark multi-strand necklaces adorned with rubies and sapphires.
“It was a bit like a family reunion. Oscar comes closest to the world that I used to know.” [W]
