Watch the Yves Saint Laurent film trailer

Jalil Lespert’s biopic of the late Yves Saint Laurent – which focuses on the beginning of his epic career in 1958, when he first met his partner Pierre Bergé – has been much anticipated and Bergé has spoken of the uncanny performance by the film’s lead actor, Pierre Niney.

Pierre Niney’s depiction of the designer is praised by Bergé – Saint Laurent’s lifelong business and one-time romantic partner – and says he is absolutely amazed by the uncanny portrayal.

“It really disconcerted me, it even upset me, because it’s very difficult,” he told WWD. “At times, I thought it was Yves Saint Laurent himself. That’s huge.”

Such was Niney’s devotion to the part that he is said to have obsessively watched old television interviews of the designer, spent hours with an illustrator who worked closely with Saint Laurent, took lessons in design, sewing and drawing and sifted through the archives at the Fondation Pierre Bergé -Yves Saint Laurent, which holds 8,000 outfits created by designer.

To enhance the realism, all clothes used in the film are from the Fondation and scenes were filmed in Saint Laurent’s untouched Paris studio.

Yves Saint Laurent hits French cinemas today. Below is the trailer.