It’s as classy and sophisticated as the man who created it. Its packaging is reminiscent of an exotic and romantic Asian culture and its sweet smell lingers to this day – 30 years after it was first sold to the masses.
I first bought Opium in July ’93 in Eze, France under an unassumed factory name. Fragonard Factories sits about 45 minutes from Monte Carlo and is nestled among tall luminous trees and magnificent ocean views.
It first I will admit I did not know what I bought: I just wanted a sampler of exotic, oaky and vanilla smells.
But by the time I landed back in Reno, I was already a diehard Opium fan.
The man who created the best selling scent died Sunday in Paris. Yves Saint Laurent was 71.
‘OPIUM’ DEN
In 1977, Saint Laurent launched his scandalously named – and now iconic – perfume Opium with a lavish New York party for 900 guests, including fellow designer Halston and Cher. The perfume’s tagline, “Opium, For Those Who Are Addicted to Yves Saint Laurent,” led to angry charges that the designer was glamorizing drug use.
A towering figure of 20th century fashion, Saint Laurent was widely considered the last of a generation that included Christian Dior and Coco Chanel and made Paris the fashion capital of the world, with the Rive Gauche, or Left Bank, as its elegant headquarters.
In the fast-changing world of haute couture, Saint Laurent was hailed as the most influential and enduring designer of his time. From the first YSL tuxedo and his trim pantsuits to see-through blouses, safari jackets and glamorous gowns, Saint Laurent created instant classics that remain stylish decades later.
When the designer announced his retirement in 2002 at age 65 and the closure of the Paris-based haute couture house he had founded 40 years earlier, it was mourned in the fashion world as the end of an era.
His ready-to-wear label, Rive Gauche, which was sold to Gucci in 1999, still has boutiques around the world.
Saint Laurent’s funeral is scheduled for Friday.
Opium Exhibition: http://www.mimifroufrou.com/scentedsalamander/2008/01/taking_the_opium_express_a_rep.html
CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/06/01/laurent.obit.ap/index.html?section=cnn_latest
Time: http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1811083,00.html
LA Times: http://www.latimes.com/features/lifestyle/la-igw-ysl3-2008jun03,0,6001878.story
NY Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/02/fashion/02laurent.html
Je n’ai qu’un regret: ne pas avoir inventé le jean: Yves Saint Laurent
Some information from People & The Associated Press
Filed under: Remember When? | Tagged: eze, france, monte carlo, opium, Paris, ysl |
Diva Diaries 
How can I order Opium perfume by Yves Saint Laurent?