Yves Saint Laurent

Yves Henri Donat Matthieu-Saint Laurent was born in Algeria on August 1,1935. He spent his childhood in a villa by the Mediterranean and from the beginning loved to create intricate paper dolls with exquisite fashions. His teen years found him designing dresses for his mother and sisters. At 18 Saint Laurent moved to Paris and studied at the Chambre Syndicate de la Haute Couture. Saint Laurent was eventually introduced to designer Christian Dior who ultimately hired him as a designer.

After Dior's death at the age of 52, Saint Laurent became the head of Dior design and saved Dior fashion from certain bankruptcy with his new and soft collection. Later collections designed for Dior were not so well accepted and Saint Laurent found himself drafted into the French army and fired from Dior.

Saint Laurent spent time in a French military hospital where he was give huge doses of sedatives, psychoactive drugs and electroshock therapy. Saint Laurent's mental problems in later years plus his drug addictions can be directly attributed to his time in the hospital.

Saint Laurent reigned supreme in the design industry of the 1960s and 1970s. He was one of Paris' jet set and often seen at clubs in France and New York. He reputed to be a heavy drinker and a cocaine user. Yet Saint Laurent still found time to actively supervise his collections.

Designs of 2000 included sophisticated suits, pleated skirts and peasant costumes. His genderless look was the fashion mark of the 1970s. Saint Laurent's designs included linens, eyeglass cases, fragrances, and children's cloths. Saint Laurent sold his ready to wear and cosmetics lines to Gucci in 2000 and he retired in 2002.

Saint Laurent left his mark on the fashion world and owning a Saint Laurent design is still prestigious. He died June 1, 2008 of brain cancer in Paris. He left behind his longtime companion Berge plus two sisters and a mother. His body was cremated and ashes scattered in Marrakech, Morocco the residence he owned with Berge.