The trials, triumphs and tribulations that fuelled the genius of a fashion designer are portrayed in this extensive account of the life and times of the man behind the label Yves St Laurent.

The story is narrated from the perspective of Laurent’s life partner Pierre Bergé (played by Guillaume Gallienne), who portrays Laurent as a man with innate sensitivity and incredible creative impulses that informed his artistic direction.

Following his passion for design, Laurent (Pierre Niney) secured a job at the House of Dior as a young man and was an employee there at the time of Christian Dior’s death, after which he was given an opportunity to make his mark as head of the company’s artistic team.

The film reveals that although he was committed to producing outstanding work, Laurent’s delicate nature meant he often appeared ill-equipped to manage the pressures that accompanied his role. Family unrest, along with political and self-imposed personal expectations in a competitive and often spiteful industry, all took their toll on the fashion fledgling’s wellbeing, and he isolated himself for a period to recover.

Support came when Laurent met art collector Bergé. The combination of the designer’s vision, passion and dedication with Bergé’s knowledge and experience of fine art, literature and business resulted in the opening of Laurent’s exclusive fashion house at the age of just 26.

This informative and heart-warming film celebrates Laurent as the designer who revolutionised women’s fashion with his visionary ideals, keen insight and creative flair. The story captures the influence of the lives and loves surrounding the designer, the extremes of the fashion industry, and the legacy of the label that lives on in his name.