World Cup FRANCE 98 – Press Releases

Paris, 25 June 1997

YVES SAINT LAURENT, Official Equipment Supplier to FRANCE 98

Yves Saint Laurent is to become an Official Equipment Supplier to FRANCE 98 in the realm of menís and womenís ready-to-wear designer clothes. The agreement was signed on Wednesday 25 June 1997 by Fernand Sastre and Michel Platini, Presidents of the French Organising Committee, and Pierre Bergé, President and Chief Executive Officer of Yves Saint Laurent.

The house of Yves Saint Laurent is to be responsible for the creation, from start to finish, of the official formal wardrobe for FRANCE 98.

« In signing this agreement, the internationally renowned fashion house, Yves Saint Laurent, undertakes to supply all formal and stadium dress worn by officials and members of the Organising Committee who, from 10 June to 12 July 1998, will be taking part in the 16th football World Cup. We are very privileged to have such a prestigious household name as our partner », said Fernand Sastre.

By the terms of the agreement, the Yves Saint Laurent fashion house will also be designing the outfits worn by the 300 women and men of FRANCE 98 who participate in the draw for the finals on 4 December 1997 at the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille.

Between 10 June and 12 July 1998, no less than 2,600 members of the FRANCE 98 workforce will be dressed by Yves Saint Laurent during the 33 days of the competition. All over the country for just over a month, the acclaimed designer will be, as it were, in World Cup « mode ».

In « sewing up » this contract, the Yves Saint Laurent house celebrates in grand style 40 years of fame and success in the world of haute couture and ready-to-wear fashions.

After the ACCOR group, the R.A.T.P. (Paris metropolitan area rail network), Frisquet, the Arjo-Wiggins group, Lafarge, Guilbert, the S.N.C.F., Primagaz, France Secours and Générale Location, Yves Saint Laurent becomes the eleventh member of the FRANCE 98 Equipment Supplier group.