Yves Saint Laurent, the legendary designer who redefined fashion for the 20th century, died Sunday evening in Paris. He was 71.
The Pierre-Bergé-Saint Laurent Foundation confirmed the news, saying that Saint Laurent had died at his Paris home following a long illness. No further details were provided.
The reclusive French designer, a towering figure in the fashion community and beyond, retired from haute couture in 2002 following a career that spanned four decades. He was widely considered by most to be the last of a generation of skilled artisans that included Coco Chanel and Christian Dior, both of whom, like Saint Laurent, helped make Paris the fashion capital of the world.
While Saint Laurent's death has saddened the fashion community, it was no secret that he had been ill for some time. In October 2006, he slipped and fell outside a Paris restaurant during Fashion Week, suffering minor scratches on his fragile frame.
Born Yves Henri Donat Mathieu Saint Laurent on August 1, 1936 in the coastal town of Oran, Algeria, the international icon grew up during a period when the North African country was still considered part of France.
Saint Laurent took over the formidable house of Christian Dior following the death of its founder in 1957 at the age of 21. Not much later, he founded his own company in the early 1960s, setting up his headquarters in the venerable Rive Gauche, or Left Bank, of Paris. It was under the auspices of his own namesake label that Saint Laurent made himself the name that continues to be carried on today by Stefano Pilati.
Via Fashion Week Daily
