HAUTE TOPIC

The couture trade is alive and well, at least if you're: a.) An east Texas resident with a full dance card, b.) The wife of a dot com billionaire with problematic proportions, or c.) A visitor to the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, where the exhibit “Yves Saint Laurent,” opening today, catalogues 40 years of creation from one of the most skilled couturiers of the last century.

The display is broken down into four distinct categories that help trace the evolution of Saint Laurent's work through 145 fully accessorized looks, as well as a wealth of drawings, videos, and photographs.

“Stroke of a Pencil” focuses on his sketches; “The YSL Revolution” dissects the influence menswear had on his designs; “The New Palette” explores his innovative use of color; and “Lyrical Sources” reveals some of his greatest influences, from Marcel Proust to Jean Cocteau. The exhibit is also an education in Saint Laurent, the progressive: Not only did he help shatter traditional gender roles, but he was the first designer to use a black model in one of his shows.