Saint Laurent and I

Original title: Saint Laurent et moi. Une histoire intime

Publication Date:

October 2017

Pages:

384

Original language and publisher

French | Hugo & Compagnie

Genre

Biography

Saint Laurent and I

Original title: Saint Laurent et moi. Une histoire intime

  • 2 Seas Represents: Dutch, North American and Nordic rights.

BIOGRAPHY 

This tell-all reads like a psychological thriller, and Fabrice Thomas shares even the more controversial details from his shared life with the fashion icon. It is not only an intimate look into the private lives of two of French culture’s most influential players (Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé) but also a study of French history between the 1960s and 1990s. The moving story is brought to life by Aline Apostolska, an exceptional writer and journalist.

Yves Saint Laurent. A name known by all. A name associated with creative success, with luxury. Nevertheless, behind the glitz and the glam, behind the name, hides the man, with whom Fabrice Thomas, the author of this book, has shared his life with once upon a time.

Between 1990 and 1993, Fabrice Thomas became Yves Saint Laurent’s lover at the request of the designer.  Separated from Pierre Bergé since 1976, and having just completed a stint in rehab, Yves Saint Laurent wished to move on with his life. In 1990, he is 54 years old, and Fabrice, 29. Before accepting to share his everyday life with his boss, Fabrice Thomas worked for the company as a delivery man for the label Rive Gauche, a job he had obtained through persistence and determination. Getting this job and making his way in a world defined by beauty had been a dream come true for Fabrice, who grew up in a much more sterile environment. Wounded by poverty and grief, having witnessed his mother drank herself to death when he was only 17 years old, he was ready to begin a new chapter of his life when he started working for YSL. However, he quickly found out that working for YSL meant having to follow the commands of Pierre Bergé, and that following the commands of Pierre Bergé also meant giving in to his sexual desires.

This book tells the story of a man initially willing to play, who became a toy manipulated by forces he couldn’t control. We follow him during a period of twelve years, with chapters alternating from his time with Yves Saint Laurent between 1990 and 1993, and chapters going back to where it all started: his early years working for the company, and even beyond, to the family roots that explain so much about the man be once was and the man he is today.

 

Despite his difficult start in life, Fabrice Thomas has never lost sight of his goal: believing that there was something better for him out there. Driver for Pierre Bergé in the 1980s, he then became Yves Saint Laurent’s lover and confident for three years. Since then, he has experimented with various careers. He has been living in the province of Quebec since 2010, where he specializes in restoration works for houses from the 19th century.

Born in Skopje, Aline Apolstolska has lived in Paris until 1998, when she moved to Montreal where she still lives today. She has written a number of books, tackling both fiction and non-fiction. Her work has been praised by both the critics and the general public.