In an attempt to democratize fashion, YSL began producing ready-to-wear in 1966, with its launch of Rive Gauche, and is considered to be the first to popularize the concept.

[11] Saint Laurent's muses included Loulou de La Falaise, Betty Catroux, Talitha Pol-Getty, Catherine Deneuve and Laetitia Casta.

[15] In 1997, Pierre Bergé appointed Hedi Slimane as collections and art director and relaunched Rive Gauche Homme.

[17] In 1999, Kering purchased YSL and hired Tom Ford to design its ready-to-wear collection, while Yves Saint Laurent remained in charge of haute couture.

[22] In 2012, Kering announced Hedi Slimane would return to the brand, replacing Stefano Pilati as creative director for YSL.

[25] "Yves Saint Laurent" and the YSL vertical monogram logo would remain for accessories and its L'Oréal-owned cosmetics line.

[30] In July 2020, Rosé, a Korean-New Zealand singer-songwriter, was named the first-ever global ambassador of Yves Saint Laurent.

Costumes for films made by the company will be designed by Saint Laurent's creative director, Anthony Vaccarello.

[37][38][39][40] On March 8, 2017, a new advertisement for the Fall 2017 collection offended internet users who saw it as a "degrading vision of women" and again the use of anorexic models.

[41] The company was ordered to remove two posters from this campaign by the French Advertising Standards Authority (ARPP),[42][43] which ruled them "degrading".