Who doesn’t know Yves Saint Laurent in the fashion industry? He is an extraordinary fashion designer from France and is applauded for being one of the best in his work in the history of fashion. He is credited for the introduction of tuxedos for women, as well as for using various colored models other than white. His life has been filmed into documentaries, such as L’Amour Fou; Yves Saint Laurent: 5 Avenue Marceau 75116 Paris; and Yves Saint Laurent: His Life and Times.
He was born on 1st August 1936 in Algeria to Lucienne and Charles Saint-Laurent. Laurent grew up with his sisters, Brigitte and Michèle. As a youngster, he used to like creating intricate dolls from paper and in his early teenage years he began designing and stitching dresses for his sisters and mother. When he turned 18, Yves Saint Laurent joined the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture in Paris, where he became popular with his designs.
In 1953, three of his sketches were selected in a competition for adolescent fashion designers by the International Wool Secretariat, and Laurent was invited for a ceremony of awards in Paris. He went there with his mother and they came across the editor of Vogue (France) Michel De Brunhoff, who introduced Saint Laurent to Christian Dior. Laurent then saw Dior as his Guru who not only taught him about art but remained by his side as a mentor. With Dior’s guidance, Laurent’s approach towards fashion matured and garnered attention. Even though Dior became familiar with his talents quickly, Saint Laurent continued working on odd jobs in the Dior’s fashion house. Prior to his shocking death, Dior told Laurent’s mother that her son will be soon heading his business and listening this, she was confused and realized the meaning of Dior’s words once he left the world. In 1957, Laurent was only twenty-one years old when he found himself as the chief designer of Christian Dior S.A.. A 1958 spring collection saved the company from collapsing, Laurent created dresses with gentles flares and narrow shoulders and this idea opened the door of stardom worldwide. At this time, he shortened his name for the press to Saint Laurent. However, in the same year another collection by Laurent did not receive appraises as the first one and the print media savaged two of his designs, beatnik and hobble skirts. A year after this, Farah Diba who was going to marry Shah of Iran, asked Yves Saint Laurent to make her wedding dress. In 1960 the owner of Dior House, Marcel Boussac, pressurized the government to conscript Laurent to serve in the army during the Algerian Independence War, so that he could be replaced after one of the catastrophic 1960 collection.
Later on, Yves Saint Laurent and his professional and personal partner, Pierre Bergé opened up their own company. However, in 1976 they duo split and only remained with each other in regards to business. Then onwards, their firm received much recognition and rapture by the press and the fans. Some collections also raised controversies although the aim of the designer was not to attack any social or political idea or incident, but some people and newspapers criticized his designs for stimulating hullabaloo.
Other than this, Laurent was often spot in different clubs like Studio 54 and Regine’s, as well as known to be a cocaine user and intense drinker. The duo bought Château Gabriel near Deauville in France. In 2008, Laurent died of brain cancer at his home in Paris, and a year later Forbes ranked Saint Laurent as the highest-earning dead person.