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In Memoriam: Yves Saint Laurent

Jun 02 2008

Back to: Worn by Fame

Any Warhol portrait of YSL
Yves Saint Laurent
Yves Saint Laurent with models
Models in pant suits
Le Smoking
A look inspired by pop art
Saint Laurent and Catherine Deneuve
YSL is carried on by designer Stefano Piloti
Yves Saint Laurent
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On Sunday, fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent died at the age of 71. Portfolio.com takes a look back at the life and work of one of haute couture's best-known designers.
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Saint Laurent began his career at French fashion house Dior, going on to direct the house at the age of 21 when Christian Dior died in 1957. In 1962, Saint Laurent left Dior and started his own eponymous label.
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In 1966 Saint Laurent took a step toward democratizing fashion, expanding away from haute couture to open Rive Gauche, a ready-to-wear boutique on Paris's left bank.
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From safari jackets and pea coats to his famous pantsuits, Saint Laurent laid the groundwork for modern women's wear by pioneering a more masculine silhouette.
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Saint Laurent is perhaps best known for the tuxedo suit he adapted for women in his 1966 couture collection, a style referred to as "Le Smoking."
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Saint Laurent is also responsible for iconic op art and pop art inspired looks beginning in the mid-60s, like this one based on the work of Piet Mondrian.
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Saint Laurent considered French actress Catherine Deneuve a close friend and a muse. In 1966 he dressed her in the film Belle de jour, which became the first of a series of collaborations between the two of them in film.
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Saint Laurent retired from designing in 2002, and his legacy at the YSL brand is currently carried on by designer Stefano Piloti.
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After going into retirement Saint Laurent all but disappeared from the public eye. Until his death, he spent much of his time at his house in Marrakech, Morocco.

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