Paloma Picasso on Personal Style, Yves Saint Laurent and Helmut Newton

PARIS — More than five decades after inspiring one of Yves Saint Laurent’s most famous collections, Paloma Picasso has lost none of her power to fascinate.

The jewelry designer, best known for her longstanding collaboration with Tiffany & Co., will join fashion historian Olivier Saillard on stage for what promises to be a highlight of his upcoming two-week residency at the Cartier Foundation for Contemporary Art. 

On March 13 and 14, they will discuss how Picasso’s penchant for vintage fashion influenced Saint Laurent’s spring 1971 collection, which caused a scandal because of its references to a dark chapter of history, the Nazi Occupation of Paris during World War II. She was also close to Karl Lagerfeld, wearing dresses from both designers for her wedding in Paris in 1978.

With the launch of her eponymous fragrance in 1984, Picasso became a global icon, known for her signature red lip and use of bold shapes and vibrant colors in her designs. 

“People who work in fashion are all a little in love with Paloma Picasso,” Saillard said. “She represents a strength of character and a very strong iconography. She is this face. She is this red.”

In an interview with WWD, Picasso talked about how she developed her signature style, revealed her go-to wardrobe pieces, and told the story behind the iconic Helmut Newton portrait that’s still pinned to the mood board of designers today.

WWD: How long have you known Olivier Saillard? 

Paloma Picasso: For a long while I wasn’t living in Paris, so it’s only been three years. I first met him in Arles [France] because he has a house there. I often go down for the photo festival, and last summer there was an exhibition about Yves Saint Laurent. We ended up having dinner together a few times.

I knew about his performances because he often works with Violeta Sanchez, who used to model for Saint Laurent. That came about because I’d cast her in a play. Yves saw her and said, “She’s wonderful. Can I bring her in for a fitting?” I said I would ask, and that’s how she became a couture model. She ended up doing a ton of photos with Helmut Newton, too.

Anyway, she’s been collaborating with Olivier for years, but I’ve never seen any of his projects. Recently, I came across a film of one of his performances with Tilda Swinton, which gave me an idea of what I was in for. I think Olivier’s brilliant, so I actually said yes before we even discussed the details. 

WWD: From what I understand, you won’t be performing with him, but rather sitting down for a conversation. 

P.P.: I’m a terrible actress, but I’m pretty good at answering questions. Every time I’ve done TV interviews — mainly in the U.S. — they said to come back anytime. 

So I’m not too worried. 

WWD: Are you comfortable speaking in public?

P.P.: Yes. Although I’ve been roped into conferences a few times, I generally avoid giving talks. I really hate it, but I’m fine with interviews. I can handle that. I find it hard to organize my thoughts in advance, so whenever I have to speak in front of an audience, I do it without a safety net. I don’t prepare anything and I just dive straight in.

WWD: You were the muse for Saint Laurent’s 1940s-inspired collection because you wore a lot of vintage clothes at the time. How did you get into that? 

P.P.: I was still at school, and whenever I wasn’t studying, I liked to spend evenings watching classic movies at the Cinémathèque. I got into fashion through Hollywood, because the movies of the ’30s, ’40s or early ’50s inspired me to develop a look that felt right for me. I remember I was around 13 when I first tried on red lipstick in front of the mirror. I just thought I looked completely ridiculous. I took it off right away. I tried again a year later, but it still didn’t work. In the end, I waited until I was 17 before I started wearing red lipstick, which was absolutely not fashionable at the time. I would spend almost every Sunday at flea markets, picking up vintage clothes to put together these ’40s-inspired ensembles. I have broad shoulders, so I almost don’t need shoulder pads — they’re naturally padded already. So that silhouette really works for me. 

WWD: Did people think you were weird? 

P.P.: Some people definitely found it odd. I was living with my grandmother at the time, and if I was going out at night wearing a hat or something a little extravagant, she was always supportive, but she’d beg me to take a taxi home. 

She was probably thinking, “This is all very well, but it might cause a bit of a commotion.”

WWD: Were you inspired by any actress in particular? 

P.P.: Ava Gardner spoke to me the most. There were all these amazing blondes too — though everyone knows three-quarters of them were not real blondes — but the fake blonde look is not my thing. I’m a brunette, and I will remain a brunette.

WWD: Today, vintage shopping has become a global trend. Should we give you credit for kickstarting it?

P.P.: I probably wasn’t alone in going to these vintage shops, but in those days, there were far fewer of them. The trend started in the ‘60s, blossomed in the ‘70s and ‘80s, and now it’s back in full force. At that age, I wanted to stand out because I felt different. Being half Spanish and half French meant I was pulled in different directions and didn’t fit into any group, so I had to create my own mood and style. I tried making my own clothes, but I wasn’t very gifted at sewing. Mixing old and modern clothes in new combinations allowed me to create a unique look.

WWD: How has your personal style evolved over time?

P.P.: It’s become much simpler, because in those days, I wasn’t working yet. My style was my main focus of attention. Putting together outfits was a full-time job and in the ’70s and ‘80s, there were theme parties, so getting dressed was a creative outlet.

To be honest, I no longer read fashion magazines and I don’t spend a lot of time shopping for clothes. I might have a favorite item copied, and I wear a lot of things that I’ve had for 30 or 40 years. So sometimes, I’m my own vintage inspiration. 

WWD: Olivier Saillard has described his Living Museum of Fashion at the Fondation Cartier as a tribute to everyday clothes. What is your go-to wardrobe staple? 

P.P.: A black turteneck. I wear a fine cotton version by John Smedley year-round, and in winter, I like a black turtleneck sweater. 

I’ve been at Tiffany for 45 years — which is scary — and I find that jewelry looks great with a black sweater. So if I really want to showcase a piece, a black backdrop is perfect.

WWD: What is the oldest piece in your wardrobe?

P.P.: I’ve found that coats really stand the test of time. 

I have some beautiful Saint Laurent haute couture coats and a lot of things from Geoffrey Beene, who is long gone — but he was such a marvelous designer. There are some pieces from other designers too, like Karl Lagerfeld — not so much from his Chloé era, but old Chanel.

WWD: Simon Porte Jacquemus closed his fall 2026 collection, shown at the Picasso Museum in Paris, with a look inspired by Helmut Newton’s famous portrait of you. Can you tell me about that shoot? 

P.P.: At the time, I’d known Helmut for around two years. I was designing jewelry for Zolotas, so it was a very, very long time ago. Sometimes the date is given as 1974, but it was 1973, in fact. I was showing my jewelry at the Byblos hotel in Saint-Tropez. I was very close to Karl at the time and he knew I was going down there, so he told Francine Crescent [who was then editor in chief of French Vogue]. Helmut had been talking about finding an opportunity to photograph me, and the stars aligned.

The funny thing is, I had seen Helmut a few weeks before. I got to Saint-Tropez a week before him, and being half Andalusian, I was very tanned by the time he arrived. On top of that, I had cut my hair. The day before the shoot, he had a meltdown, saying, “This is terrible, what am I going to do, how could you do that?”

Anyway, the next day rolls around, and I’m putting together my dress, which was made of three sections. There was a black silk jersey skirt and the top was made of two pieces of triangular fabric that were tied with knots. I put the first triangle over one breast, and went to put the second triangle over the second breast, but Helmut said it looked better before, so he asked me to take it off. We still needed something to hide the breast, so out came the whiskey glass. It was a bit early for a drink, so I didn’t have the whiskey, but we used it as a prop. I have to say the photo is really beautiful and iconic. 

I feel like Helmut shot the definitive portrait of me. 

WWD: As a designer yourself, how comfortable are you with the role of muse?

P.P.: I think the two can perfectly coexist. As a child, I was represented in portraits by my father [Pablo Picasso] and my mother [Françoise Gilot] so I never felt it was particularly odd. 

WWD: As someone who has developed an instantly recognizable style, do you have any advice for young people who are still searching for their look? 

P.P.: You need to figure out what you like and don’t like about yourself, because that is key to feeling comfortable in your skin. We all have ridiculous obsessions. You might think your ears are too big, or that you have ugly hands, or goodness knows what. So knowing what you want to spotlight or gloss over is the foundation of style. 

I recommend cherrypicking in the fashion around you the clothes that are in tune with how you feel inside. I think that’s the key to success.