Pierre Bergé, who helped create 'mystique and aura' of Yves Saint Laurent, dies at 86

They were a perfect pairing in the fashion world: Yves Saint Laurent came up with the designs; Pierre Bergé put those designs on the map.

Bergé, the long-time partner of Saint Laurent in both business and in life, died on Friday. He was 86 years old. 

Bergé is credited with transforming France's fashion scene from exclusive haute-couture, to a profitable ready-to-wear industry. But he would go on to wear many different hats.

He ran the Paris Opera for a time; he became an outspoken supporter of France's socialist party; and later, a major benefactor for AIDS research. 

He was also well-known in New York City, where he had an apartment in the 1970s with Laurent. David Croland remembers those years.

Croland is a fashion illustrator, and was the boyfriend to photographer Robert Mapplethorpe in the '70s. 

He spoke with As It Happens host Carol Off about that time and his memories of Bergé. Here is part of their conversation. 

David, when you think about Pierre Bergé in the '70s, what images come to mind?

I met Pierre in 1970 actually, in New York City, in the autumn. In those days, Pierre and Yves Saint Laurent, Valentino, would come to New York and do the social season in New York, which was amazing.

The fashion world was less crowded then. The kings were Halston in New York, Yves in Paris, and Valentino in Italy, and we all converged.

So it was a party where you met Pierre Bergé?

Yes, it was. Yves walked in with Pierre. You could tell, Pierre had kind of a ring of protection around Yves. [He was] very observant of the scene, obviously, and very observant of watching out for Yves. I noticed that early on about his love for him.

I was with Robert Mapplethorpe, who was my boyfriend at the time. Pierre took a liking to both of us and was very supportive of both our work — of my illustration and me being a model. He sort of recommended me to work and wear Yves clothes for quite a few publications, actually. He was always busy, busy, busy —  behind-the-scenes busy.

What kind of a stamp did Pierre Bergé put on haute-couture and on fashion on that time?

Well Pierre, he wasn't a fashion person. He didn't come from the fashion world. He created, with Yves, the whole Saint Laurent mystique and aura — just the perfect person to guide and make everything easier for Yves in a world that can sometimes can be extremely nerve-wracking because of the demands put upon it. 

He was very political, wasn't he? He was a Socialist Party supporter in France. He was associated with [former French president] François Mitterrand. Tell us a bit about what you know about that side of Pierre Bergé.

I think that that side, which is, I wouldn't say the opposite of the fashion world, the fashion world is political also (laughs).

But a different kind of politics and different kind of energy. So I believe that that part of him, the political side, the intellectual side, then, with the fashion side, made him one of the most well-rounded people I've ever met.

He also flew airplanes. He was a great collector of art. I think it was him that started with the Andy Warhol collections also and the portraits that Andy did of Yves. His skill at collecting art and the diverse quality of their art collection in their houses is phenomenal. 

A very important part also is the kind of support he gave for causes including, very importantly, during the AIDS epidemic. He was very much involved in trying to get support for research. Can you tell us a bit about that?

In New York, in the early '70s AIDS wasn't here. It was a very glamorous, very louche, as they say, time.

Then, when AIDS first appeared, it came seemingly out of nowhere. It was horrible. It hit the fashion world first and a succession of people that we knew got sick and died. He was an early champion of that, for sure.

And I know your own partner, Robert Mapplethorpe, succumbed to AIDS, is that right?

Yes. I was with Robert from 1970 to 1973. Robert died 10 years after we stopped being boyfriends. But, yes, that happened to dear Robert. 

Just a few years ago, Pierre Bergé was lamenting the death of haute-couture in a New York Times interview. He said, "the time of Chanel, Balenciaga, Dior and, of course, Yves — well, that time is over. To me, that whole industry now — all money and marketing — it is all something like a lie." Is there some truth to that?

Yes, but then again, it was a different time. It was before cellphones. People don't listen as much as they did in those days. You had a conversation with someone you looked at them, you spoke with them.

It's the same thing with the fashion. At a fashion show you had people looking at the fashion, not photographing it on their phones so they could see it later — missing the whole point of a live show.

It was more elegant in those days. Those days are over. It was just a quieter time and more exclusive, only because of the nature of the business. Today it's inclusive because of the nature of the business. I don't necessarily think it's a bad thing though, it's just the way it is. 

And do you think that if Pierre Bergé could get started today, would he be somebody do you think you'd find in that scene today?

I think that if he found someone comparable to, or if Yves was young and he was young again, yes.

I mean, the whole fuel behind his relationship with Saint Laurent was love. It was based on love. It was based on trust and then seeing the talent that Saint Laurent had, nurturing it and protecting him. I don't think there's a lot of people around today who do that, quite frankly.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity. For more on this story, listen to our full interview with David Croland.