Legendary designer Yves Saint Laurent dies at 71

[Laurent]

Designer Yves Saint Laurent is dead: foundation
24 minutes ago

PARIS (AFP) — Yves Saint Laurent, one the top French designers of the 20th century, died Sunday evening in Paris, the Pierre-Bergé-Saint Laurent Foundation said.

The reclusive French maestro, who had retired from haute couture in 2002 after four decades at the top of his trade, had been ill for some time.

Yves Henri Donat Mathieu Saint Laurent was born in the coastal town of Oran, Algeria, on August 1, 1936, at a time when the North African country was still considered part of France.

After taking over the Christian Dior fashion house following the death of its founder in 1957, Saint Laurent founded his own company in the early 1960s. He made his own name on the back of the rise of the youth market and pop culture, fuelled by the economic boom of that decade, when women suddenly had more economic freedom.

Quotable quotes from Yves Saint Laurent:

"You have to regard every fashion with humour, to be above it, believe in it enough to give the impression of living it but not too much, so that you keep your freedom."

"The elegance of a line depends above all on the purity and refinement of its construction."

"Black is my refuge, it is a line on a blank sheet of paper."

"The silhouette counts more than anything. It should never be overloaded."

"I found my style through women. That's where its strength and vitality comes from, because I draw on the body of a woman."

"A woman who has not found her style, who does not feel at ease in her clothes, who does not live in harmony with them, is a sick woman."

"To be beautiful, all a woman needs is a black pullover and a black skirt and to be arm in arm with a man she loves."

"Is elegance not totally forgetting what one is wearing?"

AFP: Designer Yves Saint Laurent is dead: foundation

[sparkly]

Aww, this is sad. At least he had a prosperous life.

[*DIVA!]

WOW..how sad..

[Penny Lane]

How sad... he was, and will forever remain, a fashion icon.. RIP

[Folieadeux]

Nooo...

[mintjelly]

Awww, I adore YSL.

[twitchy]

[MissVenus]

I love YSL. Classy and dignified.

[A*O]

RIP Yves. His Le Smoking tuxedos for women were some of the BEST evening wear. I wonder if they are going to be coy about his illness. I remember a rumour a while back that he retired in 2002 because he had HIV/AIDS. He did look pretty rough at the time.

[ekee]

Love YSL. RIP.

[viggofan]

Rip

[mtlebay]

Another fashion icon. RIP.

[WhateverLolaWants]

[lisalucy69]

Yves Saint Laurent was one of those people you never really thought about not being around some day. He seemed timeless.

[WhateverLolaWants]

Just look at this gorgeous hem. Have you ever SEEN a more gorgeous hem? *sigh*

May there be sewing machines, bountiful silk charmeuse and men with tight pecks in heaven