The hoopla for this exhibition began long before it opened in late March at the Denver Art Museum, and with good reason: Not only is Denver the only stop that this blockbuster from the Foundation Pierre Bergé — Yves Saint Laurent in France — will make in the United States, but it's breathtaking, even if you aren't a dedicated fashionista. The forty-year retrospective, which demonstrates how YSL drew influences from menswear staples and the art world to create an ascending staircase of style rising through the decades, is also a fascinating peek into the details and craft of haute couture. And on a local level, it's giving a boost to our own fashion scene, involving Denver designers in an accompanying series of stylish events thrown in conjunction with the main attraction. From the elegant display of nearly forty YSL women's tuxedos to the finale of evocative evening gowns, the big show doesn't misstep once. Bravo!