inspired by: Betty Catroux

Born in 1945 in Rio De Janeiro, Catroux moved to Paris when she was four. At 16, she met Coco Chanel through her mother’s friends and worked as a model for her for two years. After departing her work as a model, Catroux met Yves Saint Laurent at a nightclub where, too shy to approach her himself, he sent another man from his table to talk to her.
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It was love at first sight. Yet, their attraction was more than just physical — they were alike both spiritually and mentally, which led to them forming a lifetime companionship. Catroux, who had an androgynous style, cultivated by her love for men’s clothing, inspired Saint Laurent to view fashion as “a state of mind before being about clothes.”
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Along with Loulou De La Falaise, Catroux embodied the feminine ideal that Saint Laurent channeled in his designs. De La Falaise was a more feminine and romantic influence, meanwhile Catroux had a darker, more seductive edge.
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In 1966, Saint Laurent introduced the version of a men’s tuxedo suit — called the ‘un smoking’ — to women, as an alternative to the traditional evening gowns. Overturning fashion codes of the time, Saint Laurent would go on to make the smoking a key element to women’s wardrobe.
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The smoking would become a leitmotif in Saint Laurent’s shows — one that he would reinterpret again and again. In part, the idea to experiment with androgynous styles can be attributed to Catroux’s influence on Saint Laurent.