Christian Lacroix is one of the most inventive and admired fashion designers in the world, and he is also incredibly well-versed in fashion history. He brings that expertise to bear in this imaginary museum of historic and contemporary fashion, telling the story of fashion from the eighteenth century to the present day and illustrating it with examples of his own designs plus historic costumes from the Musee des Arts Decoratifs in Paris.

On January 21, 1971, couturier Yves Saint Laurent presented his Spring-Summer haute couture collection. Inspired by the garments of the war years, the collection included short dresses, platform shoes, square shoulders, and exaggerated makeup. The show caused an outrage among the public, the critics, and the press alike, earning it the title of "Paris's ugliest collection." Nevertheless, the haute couture designs of the runway made their way to the boulevards, giving full sway to the "retro" trend that quickly conquered the streets.

Yves Saint Laurent: The Scandal Collection, 1971...