Yves Saint Laurent

Saint Laurent first worked as an assistant to Christian Dior. He won first prize in an International Wool Secretariat competition, in which Karl Lagerfeld won a separate category.^1,2 After Dior died in 1957, Saint Laurent succeeded him as head of the House of Dior at age 21.^1,2

The Guardian dates the launch of Saint Laurent and Bergé's brand to 1962, while Getty Research dates the fashion house's founding to 1961.^1,2 Bergé was described as the business mind behind Saint Laurent and as the person closest to him for 42 years.³ Saint Laurent retired in 2002.^1,4

The Guardian described Saint Laurent's styles as epitomising a vision of a seductive, wealthy and intelligent French woman, and noted that Catherine Deneuve frequently attended his shows.¹ The label lost momentum during the 1980s and 1990s and passed between several owners. Gucci Group acquired it in 1999, after which Tom Ford took over the ready-to-wear line; The Guardian described Ford as being seen as Saint Laurent's antithesis.¹ A New York Times profile described some of Saint Laurent's 1990s collections as revisiting earlier designs, while other designers gave his classic styles a modern interpretation.³ Bergé opened a $5 million documentation centre devoted to Saint Laurent's work and arranged for Gucci to support it in perpetuity.³

A New York Times profile portrayed Saint Laurent as a decadent, chaotic and manipulative artist, using the phrase “had to destroy to create.”³ Bergé said Saint Laurent smoked 150 cigarettes a day and had survived forms of self-abuse that could have been fatal more quickly.³ Saint Laurent posed nude for a cologne advertisement in the late 1960s or early 1970s. Designer Fernando Sanchez, a friend since 1954, said Saint Laurent could transform himself when appearing in public.³

Saint Laurent and Bergé bought an apartment at 55 Rue de Babylone in 1970. The apartment included interiors designed by Jean-Michel Frank in the 1920s; the BBC describes the interior as Art Deco and says it reflected Saint Laurent's fascination with the Jazz Age.⁵ British Vogue featured the duplex in its May 1972 issue. The BBC identified its eclecticism as a feature that distinguished it from other stylish interiors of the period.⁵ Anthony Barzilay Freund, editorial director and trends expert at 1stDibs, said Saint Laurent and Bergé were ahead of their time in interiors.⁵ The BBC reports that the couple's 1970s homes continue to influence interior design and that boho-luxe furniture associated with their lifestyle is in demand. Marie Kristine Schmidt, chief brand officer at Gubi, described 1970s furniture as emphasizing comfort, low seating with soft cushioning, and organic materials.⁵

Loulou de la Falaise was Saint Laurent's friend and collaborator; she disliked being called his muse. Accounts of their first meeting in 1968 vary, including her own, and The Guardian considers the tea-party account the most reliable.⁶ Saint Laurent opened a London boutique in 1969 accompanied by de la Falaise and Betty Catroux, whom he called his “twin sister.”⁶

The contents of Saint Laurent's country estate were auctioned at Christie's in Paris, with proceeds intended to benefit medical research on HIV. The sale included furnishings meant to evoke the winter garden of Princess Marie Bonaparte, and his French bulldog, Moujik, was present at Christie's.⁷

Saint Laurent died in Paris at age 71 following a long illness; Bergé announced his death.¹ On closing his fashion house, Saint Laurent said he was sad to end a love affair that had lasted 40 years.⁴