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CNN Live At Daybreak

On the Catwalk: Yves Saint Laurent's Last Bow

Aired January 23, 2002 - 05:16   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Fashion great Yves Saint Laurent has ended a four decade career that changed the way women dress.

CNN's Hala Gorani takes us onto the catwalk.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HALA GORANI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A legendary fashion designer takes a last bow. Yves Saint Laurent's ultimate haute couteur show, a retrospective of a career spanning four decades.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The look for the last, I don't know how many years, at least 30 years, has been what Saint Laurent created. I mean he created what they call the modern woman.

GORANI: All those trend setting designs were there. What Saint Laurent will be remembered for, the classic trouser suit, the safari jacket, the female tuxedo winning the most applause.

(on camera): Yves Saint Laurent's last couteur collection really the event of the day here in France, not only in the fashion world, but well beyond. His last collection attracting stars from around the world, attracting the wife of the French president, Bernadette Chirac, as well as longstanding friends and clients like Catherine Deneuve.

(voice-over): But after 40 years custom designing made-to- measure clothes worth tens of thousands of dollars apiece, some say Saint Laurent has run his course.

HILARY ALEXANDER, "DAILY TELEGRAPH": He's over 60. He's at an age when most men retire anyway. Give up gracefully. You've had a brilliant career.

GORANI: And during the couteur fashion shows in Paris this week, not all designers are happy Yves Saint Laurent is getting all the attention.

KARL LAGERFELD, CHANEL DESIGNER: It's not because he thinks we are not good that we have to think that he was the only one. He was OK. He was perfect. He did his thing in the '60s and '70s. But life goes on, huh?

GORANI: Saint Laurent has made no secret of his dislike of the modern fashion industry, heavily reliant on marketing campaigns and commercial success, even implying real haute couteur is dead now that he's retired. But this is not Yves Saint Laurent's world anymore. His successors will now determine where couteur goes from here.

Hala Gorani, CNN, Paris.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: He was awesome.

CHAD MYERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes.

COSTELLO: He introduced the pantsuit for women.

MYERS: Really?

COSTELLO: Which was big back in the '70s.

MYERS: Yes, certainly. I do know that. I mean I remember the pantsuit.

COSTELLO: Do you?

MYERS: Yes. It was all kind of, was it all one thing? Or was that called the jumper?

COSTELLO: I don't know. We're going to torture you some more with fashion. Let's put up that picture of Chelsea Clinton again.

MYERS: All right, yes. Girls who need no last names.

COSTELLO: What do you think?

MYERS: Very nice. You know, OK...

COSTELLO: I think she looks grown up and very chic.

MYERS: Yes, I mean I'm not asking her out on a date, but of course I'm 17 years her senior, so...

COSTELLO: You could be her dad.

MYERS: Oh, don't even think it. On my goodness. Yes, you're probably right. Yes. No.

COSTELLO: What do you think about her hanging with Gwyneth and Madonna? Hey.

MYERS: Well, you know what? I like that she got rid of the curls because the curls never really looked that good on her. You know, I know they're natural curls and all that, but this hair is much more updated, much more "Friends" looking. You know, it looks like she could be sitting right on the "Friends" set right now.

COSTELLO: Yes, it's like Jennifer Aniston.

MYERS: Yes. COSTELLO: No wonder she's hanging with Gwyneth and Madonna.

MYERS: I guess so. There you go.

COSTELLO: I wonder what she's learning from them.

MYERS: Very nice. A very nice update.

COSTELLO: OK. Chelsea, we love it.

MYERS: We sure do.

COSTELLO: Not that you care, but we do.

MYERS: Two thumbs up, well, from me. And that will be four if you put your thumbs up, but that's all right.

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