Yves Saint Laurent launched his first ready-to-wear line, Rive Gauche, in 1966.
The line marked a deliberate move beyond haute couture, making Saint Laurent’s ideas available to a younger and broader clientele. Its first Paris boutique opened in September 1966 at 21 Rue de Tournon, on the Left Bank—hence the name Rive Gauche.
Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé saw ready-to-wear as both a cultural and business necessity as postwar fashion became more youthful, international, and accessible. The line offered less expensive, simplified versions of the designer’s aesthetic while retaining his emphasis on strong silhouettes and modernity.
A common mix-up is treating 1966 as the year Saint Laurent founded his fashion house; that happened in 1961–62, after he left Dior. The same year as Rive Gauche, he also introduced Le Smoking, his landmark women’s tuxedo. His first men’s ready-to-wear collection followed in 1969.