French screen legend Catherine Deneuve once again commanded the spotlight, turning heads at the recent Saint Laurent fashion show in Paris. The iconic actress, now 81, wore a sharp black suit paired with a subtly shimmering rhinestone-embellished black top. Completing the ensemble was a simple black handbag and her famous cascading blonde curls.
Her appearance at the Saint Laurent show is a reminder of the bond between Deneuve and the legendary fashion house, a relationship that began over five decades ago. Their famous collaboration started with the 1967 movie, Belle de Jour.
The surrealist film, directed by Luis Buñuel, saw Deneuve’s character, the bored housewife Séverine Serizy, clad in original Yves Saint Laurent creations. The costumes defined the film’s sophisticated yet subversive aesthetic and launched one of the most celebrated partnerships in fashion and film history.
Beyond Belle de Jour, Deneuve has built a filmography filled with European classics like The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, Repulsion, the musical The Young Girls of Rochefort, and her Oscar-nominated role in Indochine.
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Her face, however, is recognizable beyond the art-house cinema circuit. Throughout the 1970s, Deneuve was a household name in the United States as the memorable spokeswoman for Chanel No. 5. Her French allure made her the perfect embodiment of the classic fragrance, cementing her status as a global icon of French style.
Deneuve was married early in her career to British fashion photographer David Bailey (who, incidentally, first encouraged her to seek out a design from the young Saint Laurent). Later, she had a long-term, high-profile relationship with Italian superstar Marcello Mastroianni, with whom she had a daughter, Chiara. She also shares a son, Christian, with French filmmaker Roger Vadim.
Now, at 81, Catherine Deneuve’s latest fashion week moment proves that the true hallmarks of a global star—style, grace, and an undeniable allure—remain absolutely ageless.
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