When talking about luxury fashion brands, many names may come up. Yves Saint Laurent (YSL) and Louis Vuitton (LV) are two you will hear often in the fashion industry. You may think all these high-end brands are the same, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Comparing YSL vs. Louis Vuitton allows you to learn more about each designer.
Every fashion house offers something unique to customers. It goes beyond just offering luxury goods. By comparing the two fashion houses, you can more easily understand the differences and appreciate each brand more.
The Mentee Becomes the Mentor
Yves Saint Laurent was a fashion designer from a young age. He got his start after catching the eye of Christian Dior when he was just 17 years old.
Dior became his mentor and took the young man under his wing. YSL became the head of the brand after Dior’s death.
Despite the prevailing rumor that he would take over the company, YSL left Dior in 1961 to start his brand. Working with his partner, Pierre Bergé, Saint Laurent built his own French luxury fashion house.
He became well-known as a revolutionary french fashion designer in women’s fashion. His creations explored the gender-neutral look with classic pieces including the Mondrian dress and Le Smoking tuxedo suit.
Saint Laurent died in 2008 after a fight with brain cancer. The Kering Group currently owns YSL with Anthony Vaccarello as the creative director.
A Tale of a Love for Quality Luggage
Louis Vuitton also got an early start on his craft. He began at the age of 16 working as an apprentice for a trunk maker in Paris.
Vuitton stayed with his mentor for 17 years. He started on his own in 1854. Vuitton and his son introduced several ideas to the luggage market, including unpickable and tumbler locks.
Throughout the years, The LV brand expanded into clothing, accessories, and footwear. It became a brand known for its signature LV monogram and high-quality craftsmanship.
Louis Vuitton died in 1882, but his family carried on the brand. Currently, LVMH (Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton) owns the company.
Nicolas Ghesquière is the women’s creative director, Pharrell Williams is the menswear creative director, and Bernard Arnault is the CEO.
YSL vs. Louis Vuitton: How Do the Products Compare?
Looking at Louis Vuitton vs YSL is relatively easy since they offer many of the same product lines. The most popular of those include handbags, accessories, footwear, apparel, and perfume.
Behind Every Successful Woman Is a Fabulous Bag
Both luxury fashion houses have a nice selection of handbags, and interestingly, they both have an iconic monogram featured heavily in their designs.
YSL has a more modern and sleek aesthetic. The company often uses soft materials, such as lambskin and buttery leather.
It also prominently features stitching in its designs. The Gaby Phone Holder in Quilted Leather is one of the more affordable options in the YSL bags collection.
It is small, designed to hold a mobile phone, but big enough to be able to work as an evening bag. It has a chain shoulder strap and features the YSL logo on the front flap.
The lambskin material has a quilted look. Another option is the ICare Maxi Shopping Bag in Quilted Nubuck Suede.
The overall look is very similar to the Gaby design with the quilting stitching and large YSL logo in gold. But this features soft suede and is much larger, designed for holding quite a bit and for carrying by the suede hand strap.
You can adjust the size by pulling an interior chain. Louis Vuitton bags have a classic look. They often use the monogram pattern featuring stars.
Most of the designs have a timeless feel to them. LV uses Damier checkerboard prints and also does a lot with leather.
The more affordable choice from Louis Vuitton is the Speedy 25. It comes in a variety of options, including the Damier or monogram prints.
It is a decent size and works well as an everyday bag. It has leather trim with canvas material and gold hardware.
The higher-end design bag option is the Petite Malle. Again, there are a few choices in patterns, including a fun quilted white featuring a colorful LV monogram, a music note print, and a blue and beige basketweave. The bags have canvas outer material and leather trims and feature metallic hardware in gold.
Finish a Look with the Right Accessory
Comparing Yves Saint Laurent vs. Louis Vuitton accessories is a little challenging because each brand has a distinct style, which is nice because it gives some insight into the overall aesthetics of these luxury brands.
YSL focuses on unexpected options in accessories. For example, the Oversized Anemone Brooch in Silk and Feathers.
It has layers of silk petals and feathers all in black for something mysterious and intriguing. For a night at the opera, YSL also offers the Long Gloves.
These are extra long over the elbow in black and use a Cupro/Elastan blend, which makes it a sustainable product.
Louis Vuitton accessories maintain the classic style the brand has built its name on. They often feature the LV monogram.
A good example is the Louisette earrings. They have a monogram flower design with mixed finishes featuring one contrasting petal.
There is also LV engraved in the metal. Another great choice is the Louise by Night Necklace. It is an LV circle with a crystal rhinestone border on an adjustable chain.
There is also a second LV circle charm on the clasp.
Shoes Are Like Makeup for the Feet
All luxury fashion houses have footwear lines that bring about some of the most sought-after products they sell.
Looking at YSL vs. Louis Vuitton, these two designer brands are both different in distinct ways. YSL footwear has a touch of elegance mixed with an edgy design for a unique presentation.
The company has a nice collection of strappy heels, including the Ava Sandals in Crepe Satin with Rhinestones.
These shoes have an almond-shaped toe and stiletto heel. They have various straps encrusted in rhinestones and an ankle buckle.
Another interesting choice is the Opyum Sandals in smooth leather. They have a YSL logo as the heel. The shoe is rather simple with an adjustable ankle strap.
Louis Vuitton favors classic designs for its footwear. Like with so many LV designs, the monogram is a heavy design feature in the shoe collection.
The brand has everything from sneakers to boots. The Laureate Platform Desert Boot is a combat boot style with the LV logo print.
It has leather laces with a thick rubber sole. For something dressier, there is the Blossom Sandal. It comes in various colors, including the green and blue options This shoe has a stiletto heel with a flower-shaped bottom to make for a safer walking experience – no more heels caught in the grass.
It is suede baby goat leather with a V accessory on the ankle strap.
There’s No Excuse for Not Being Well-Dressed
When it comes to apparel, Louis Vuitton vs. YSL comes down to personal style. YSL embraces the signature gender-neutral styling.
Louis Vuitton sticks with timeless designs. YSL women’s collection is heavy on black, sophistication. The Long Cowl-Back Dress in Jersey is an excellent example of this element in the collection.
It is a sleeveless, floor-length gown in all black. It has a side slit and a high cowl neckline with a plunging back.
On the men’s wear side, YSL offers vibrant options with a French flair, like the Lavalliere-Neck Blouse in Cotton Poplin.
It is a dressy blouse that buttons up the front and features a tie at the neck and bishop sleeves. Louis Vuitton’s women’s appeal runs from a tiger print t-shirt to an Oversized Monogram Accent Coat.
It also has bleached denim jeans. The collection overall is very wearable and something you could use to outfit your wardrobe.
The men’s collection is equally classic. The Single-Breasted Wool Blend Napolitana Jacket is a great piece to showcase the classic style of the LV brand.
It features the brand’s logo. It has an LV stitch button and is a wool/cotton blend.
A Perfume Can Leave a Lasting Impression
The last product lines to compare between YSL vs. Louis Vuitton are the perfumes. Having a scent that turns heads and fills a room with delight is not an easy task, but both brands do a great job of producing products that are distinct and memorable.
YSL perfumes usually take on a sensual edge. They are alluring and very feminine. A great example of this is Mon Paris Eau De Parfum.
The bottle is enough to tell you this is something fabulous. It has a cute black tie on the topper. It is a traditional sweet floral fragrance with hints of fruit.
When looking at Louis Vuitton v. YSL perfumes, LV comes across as more classic and sophisticated instead of the youthful and fun vibe from YSL.
LV fragrances are those you would wear to work in your power suit. Spell on You is the embodiment of this brand.
It features classic floral notes, such as iris, rose, and jasmine. It is very heady and hypnotic.
There Is No Excuse for Sacrificing Quality
Quality and fine craftsmanship are hallmarks of high-end brands. There is little comparison between Yves Saint Laurent vs.
Louis Vuitton because they both do a superior job presenting well-made goods. Neither slacks in this aspect of their designs.
Still, there are some distinctions between the houses. Yves Saint Laurent focuses energy on only choosing the best possible goods from the market to use in making its products.
Everyone working to create the lines are highly skilled craftsman with the experience and training to produce only top-of-the-line products.
While YSL has its headquarters in France, the manufacturing occurs in Italy. Only very select items come from outside the country in places including Spain, Thailand, and Japan.
Louis Vuitton has maintained its manufacturing operations in the same place the founder created them, in France.
However, the fashion house is not afraid to go elsewhere when it benefits the overall quality. LV has outsourced to Italy, Switzerland, and the United States.
But all workshops creating LV merchandise do so under the strict control of the head office to ensure high quality.
Image Is Everything
Both Louis Vuitton and Yves Saint Laurent have worked hard to build the luxury brand image they hold. They also have each carved out their niche in the designer brand market by creating a unique perception of their products.
YSL is a brand defined by gender-bending designs. Such creations have set this label apart from others. It also is a fashion house known for being edgy and willing to create items that may not suit the masses.
There is a youthful and playful angle to YSL designs. Louis Vuitton is more about classic style and traditional glamour.
It is highly wearable and something that anyone can wear. It provides elegance and style while also ensuring every look is sophisticated.
Comparing YSL vs. Louis Vuitton when it comes to the brand image is like night and day. YSL is the nighttime when things are a bit crazy and wild, whereas LV is daytime and classy.
Head-to-Head: YSL vs. Louis Vuitton Pricing
Going up against each other, these brands do have some differences in pricing. Louis Vuitton is slightly more expensive in general than YSL. Yves Saint Laurent:
- Gaby Phone Holder in Quilted Leather: $1,290
- ICare Maxi Shopping Bag in Quilted Nubuck Suede: $5,600
- Oversized Anemone Brooch in Silk and Feathers: $1,090
- Long Gloves: $750
- Ava Sandals in Crepe Satin with Rhinestones: $1,390
- Opyum Sandals: $1,290
- Long Cowl-Back Dress: $4,690
- Lavalliere-Neck Blouse in Cotton Poplin: $1,850
Louis Vuitton:
- Speedy 25: $1,490
- Petite Malle: $5,950 to $8,900
- Louisette earrings: $450
- Louise by Night Necklace: $585
- Laureate Platform Desert Boot: $1,480
- Blossom Sandal: $1,190
- Oversized Monogram Accent Coat: $6,050
- Bleached Denim Jeans: $1,700
- Single-Breasted Wool Blend Napolitana Jacket: $3,150
The Rich and Famous Who Love Each Brand
Designer brands use celebrity endorsements to help them sell. They are going after a high-end clientele, so they have to speak their language.
By partnering with other rich people, the brand can draw in its target market. YSL has had past working relationships with Zoë Kravitz, Travis Scott, and Kaia Gerber.
For the 2023 season, the fashion house worked with Austin Butler, who joined the ambassador team to sell the brand’s newest fragrance MYSLF.
He joined Lil Nas X and Troye Sivan in touting the products for YSL. Louis Vuitton’s most famous partnership is with Pharrell Williams.
He not only has an eye for fashion but as a chart-topping musician, he also has a lot of connections that have been beneficial to the brand, including getting Rihanna to help endorse the brand.
LV has also had endorsements from Emma Stone, Alicia Vikander, and BTS. An overview of YSL vs. Louis Vuitton shows these brands both commit to providing high-quality products to a select customer base.
They want nothing but the best to come out under their brands and work hard to ensure the finest goods. Still, some differences stand out.
While YSL goes edgy and leans into gender neutrality, Louis Vuitton is classically traditional.
YSL vs. Louis Vuitton: FAQs
Is YSL a high-end brand?
Yes. A luxury or high-end brand has a select target market, unique offerings, and recognition in the industry as a designer name. YSL has all of these characteristics.
Does YSL hold its value?
Yes. YSL products is a top-five brand for resell due to maintaining its value.
YSL vs. Louis Vuitton: Which Brand Should You Choose?
YSL is a brand that appeals to those seeking fashion-forward and trendsetting looks, while Louis Vuitton represents a timeless and iconic sense of style.