Tribute to Saint Lauren

The Fashion designer who gave rise to the Female Executive,

 

This has nothing to do with either MBA or Japan but a tribute is required. Fashion is important. Appearances shape our judgments. We judge people on what they wear. Even if we do not admit we get influenced by how the people look around us.

 

I implore you, the reader, if you are at your office look around you. Look at the women. What are they wearing? Most probably if you work in a corporation they will be wearing a Pantsuit(unless you are in Japan where most office ladies were still skirts). One name should spring to mind: Yves Saint Laurent. He revolutionized the lives of working women with the trouser suit.

 

Many women( Clinton one of them) has ample reasons to thank Mr. Saint Laurent – and the rest of the designers who followed him, like Liz Claiborne. The pantsuit let women rise to the same level as male professionals. 40 years after the introduction of the pantsuit, one may not remember the days during the sartorial division between the sexes at work. I for one learnt it through the newspapers. Back then women were dressed in skirts and dresses.

 

Saint Laurent’s ended that era, or one should say he did his part at least. The introduction of Jackets and trousers for women showed to everybody that women can do business like men can(remember appearances are important). Mrs Claiborne continued the liberation by providing women with affordable office wear. Fashion Matters. Mr Saint Laurent caught up on the change, the society was changing. As a matter of fact I used the word revolution. It wasn’t by accident. 1968 the year of social uproar, more liberty and etc, was the year Mr. Laurent suggest trousers can and ought to be worn by women.

 

I read online on a blog about Mad Men, a series about an Advertising agency in New York in the 1960s. In that series one can find vestiges of the old era, where women were not treated very “fairly”. Men were running things and women were there and just dressed, what we in Greek call glastres( plants).

 

Who knows? Maybe Yves, was just lucky, maybe he thought about it as a new revenues for income or he just jumped on the wagon at the right time. No matter what he got it right. He helped women transcend gender at workplace when it was still difficult for them. One should not discount the role of fashion very cheaply. I am a male but I came from a family with a strong female in the corporate world. Maybe, maybe without Mr. Yves she wouldn’t have the opportunity to excel.

 

Thank you Mr. Saint Laurent this blog post is devoted to you.

Zanat0s out!