Yves Saint Laurent

This pantsuit features real metal piping and golden guipure-or embroidered lace-trim. The highwaisted trousers and strong shoulders suggest the “power suit” silhouette of the 1980s, but the ensemble’s inspiration comes from the traditional costume of the bullfighter, the traje de luces ( “suit of lights”). Just as the bullfighter in his golden costume seeks to attract the bull, a woman wearing this striking pantsuit would similarly draw all eyes to her. In both instances, gold imbues the wearer with a sense of power.