BBC NEWS | Europe | Yves Saint Laurent shuts its doors Thursday, 31 October, 2002, 20:33 GMT Yves Saint Laurent shuts its doors The haute couture house opened in 1961 One of France's most prestigious haute couture fashion houses, Yves Saint Laurent, has finally closed its doors following the retirement of its famous designer and co-founder. Paying tribute to staff and colleagues, Mr Saint Laurent said the closure marked "the end of a long love affair". I am very sad to put an end to a love affair that has lasted for 40 years Yves Saint Laurent The reclusive 66-year-old, who spent more than four decades producing designer clothing for the rich and famous, has been battling poor health for many years. His retirement - announced at his last fashion show in January - marks the end of an era for Parisian style. Although the brand itself will continue, Mr Saint Laurent himself lamented that he "was the last of the fashion Mohicans".

'Tremendous sadness' "I'm feeling a tremendous sadness at the idea that I will no longer see these marvellous and enormously talented people, who brought all my ideas to life with their vast know-how," Mr Saint Laurent said of his employees. "I am very sad to put an end to a love affair that has lasted for 40 years," he said. Of his 158 staff, some have found jobs with rival houses Jean-Paul Gaultier, Azzedine Alaia, and Chanel, while others have followed Mr Laurent into retirement or are still looking for work elsewhere. Yves Saint Laurent specialised in garments for the rich and famous Although the haute couture workshops are now closed, the Yves Saint Laurent name will continue in the pret-a-porter range owned by Gucci, which is due to open 47 new stores in 2004. The Yves Saint Laurent couture house started in 1961, with groundbreaking designs which won a loyal clientele among the rich and famous, including Bianca Jagger and Lauren Bacall.

They and other celebrities were at his last show in January - a star-studded event that also counted admiring rivals and former supermodels Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell, Jerry Hall and Carla Bruni. Life of fashion Yves Henri Donat Mathieu Saint Laurent was born in Algeria in 1936, at a time when the North African country was still under French rule. A shy, lonely child, he became interested in clothes at an early age and was discovered by the fashion magazine Vogue when he was just 17. He went to work for the designer Christian Dior in 1954, taking over from him when Mr Dior died three years later. The name will live on under Gucci After returning from a short stint of military service in Algeria, he decided to open his own fashion house together with Pierre Berge. It was then that he began to create the imaginative and innovative clothes that became his trademark. His feminisation of the male trouser suit and tuxedo saw him credited as the man who "empowered women". His designs, which were often influenced by the work of painters like Picasso and Mondrian, became works of art in themselves.

In 1983 the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York devoted an entire show to his clothing. The last item made by the designer was a black wool jacket with gold embroidery - an updated version of a design that first premiered on the catwalk as part of Yves Saint Laurent's autumn/winter 1985-1986 collection. It will hang in the closet of Mr Saint Laurent's close friend and muse, actress Catherine Deneuve. WATCH/LISTEN Yves Saint Laurent, fashion icon, dies aged 71 - Telegraph France Yves Saint Laurent, fashion icon, dies aged 71 Yves Saint Laurent, the fashion designer credited with morphing haute couture into more accessible ready-to-wear, has died in Paris. He was 71. Photo: STEPHEN LOCK Obituary: Yves Saint Laurent Once the protégé of Christian Dior, Saint Laurent was one of a handful of designers who dominated 20th century fashion, on a par with Coco Chanel and Christian Lacroix. As he bowed out seven years ago, Saint Laurent said: "I have nothing in common with this new world of fashion, which has been reduced to mere window-dressing.

Elegance and beauty have been banished." 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. Related Articles Yves Saint Laurent announces retirement 02 Jun 2008 A shy, lonely, child, he became fascinated by clothes, and already had a solid portfolio of sketches when he first arrived in Paris in 1953, aged 17. Michel de Brunoff, editor of Vogue, who was to become a key supporter, was quickly won over, and published them. The following year Saint Laurent won three of the four categories in a design competition in Paris – and de Brunoff advised Christian Dior to hire him. He took over the fashion house when Dior died suddenly three years later, but in 1960 was called up to fight in his native Algeria in the war of independence. On his return, he struck out on his own founding his own couture house at the start of the 1960s, at a time when the world was changing and there was a new appetite for originality.

Saint Laurent rode his luck through the rise of the youth market and pop culture fuelled by the economic boom of the 1960s, when women suddenly had more economic freedom. His name and the familiar YSL logo became synonymous with all the latest trends, and one of his best-known creations a ladies jacket and pants called "le smoking", became a symbol for the emerging women's movement. In his later years the depression that had haunted him all his life became more oppressive, and at his farewell bash in 2002 Saint Laurent admitted to having recourse to "those false friends which are tranquillisers and narcotics". However, his designs from all seasons are still coveted and worn regularly by adoring fashionistas. Yves Saint Laurent - Il Est Mort! Yves Saint Laurent - Il Est Mort! Breaking news...no link yet. And Wikipedia has already been updated!

by Anonymous He had un ass chaud, but I guess he didn't live forever by Anonymous reply 5 06/01/2008 tYves Saint Laurent, who died Sunday aged 71, was one of a handful of designers who dominated 20th century fashion, on a par with Christian Dior, Coco Chanel and Paul Poiret. 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. During his farewell appearance seven years ago, Saint Laurent had told reporters he had "always given the highest importance of all to respect for this craft, which is not exactly an art, but which needs an artist to exist." 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. A shy, lonely, child, he became fascinated by clothes, and already had a solid portfolio of sketches when he first arrived in Paris in 1953, aged 17.

Vogue editor Michel de Brunoff, who was to become a key supporter, was quickly won over, and published them. The following year Saint Laurent won three of the four categories in a design competition in Paris -- the fourth went to his contemporary Karl Lagerfeld, now at Chanel. Discerning the young man's potential, de Brunoff advised Christian Dior to hire him and he rapidly emerged as heir apparent to the great couturier, taking over the house when Dior died suddenly three years later. Saint Laurent would say of his mentor: "Dior fascinated me. I couldn't speak in front of him. He taught me the basis of my art. Whatever was to happen next, I never forgot the years spent at his side." However in 1960, like many Frenchmen of his age, Saint Laurent was called up to fight in his native Algeria, where an independence war was under way. Less than three weeks later he won an exemption on health grounds, but when he returned to Paris it was to learn that Dior had already found a replacement for him, in the person of Marc Bohan.

With his close associate and lover Pierre Berge, Saint Laurent resolved to strike out on his own, with Berge, who survives the couturier, taking care of the business side. Saint Laurent's success lay in the harmony he achieved between body and garment -- what he called "the total silence of clothing." He was also in the right place at the right time. Having learned his trade at the house of Dior, he founded his own couture house at the start of the 1960s, at a time when the world was changing and there was a new appetite for originality. Saint Laurent rode his luck through the rise of the youth market and pop culture fuelled by the economic boom of the 1960s, when women suddenly had more economic freedom. His name and the familiar YSL logo became synonymous with all the latest trends, highlighted by the creation of the Rive Gauche ready-to-wear label and perfume, as well as astute licensing deals for accessories and perfumes. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, he set the pace for fashion around the world, opening up the Japanese market and subsequently expanding to South Korea and Taiwan.

Among his many fans in his native France was the actress Catherine Deneuve, who was always to be seen at his shows. Saint Laurent's career was not without controversy. In 1971 a collection modelled on the styles of World War II Paris was slammed by some American critics, and his launch in the mid 1970s of a perfume called "Opium" brought accusations that he was condoning drug use. For fellow-designer Christian Lacroix, the reason for Saint Laurent's success was his astonishing versatility. There had, Lacroix said, been other great designers but none with the same range. "Chanel, Schiaparelli, Balenciaga and Dior all did extraordinary things. But they worked within a particular style," he explained. "Yves Saint Laurent is much more versatile, like a combination of all of them.

I sometimes think he's got the form of Chanel with the opulence of Dior and the wit of Schiaparelli." In his later years the depression that had haunted him all his life became more oppressive, and at his farewell bash in 2002 Saint Laurent admitted to having recourse to "those false friends which are tranquillisers and narcotics." by Anonymous >> Why was he only 71? Because he died before he got to 72. by Anonymous reply 21 06/01/2008 When YSL retired so did fashion. Clothes by YSL were beautiful. Now all you see are women in different versions of the same fucking garbage bag!!!! Today's "designers" arer interested in seeing THEMSELVES as Hot Gay Men. They're all disasters who wouldn't be picked up at a sidewalk sale. Yes, I'm looking at you Marc Bohan and Tom Ford!!!! by Anonymous reply 22 06/01/2008 YSL also deserves credit for integrating the runway and making black supermodels possible. Though he shouldn't be blamed for the hot mess that is Naomi Campbell.

by Anonymous He had a great place in Morroco that hosted many grand gay affairs by Anonymous reply 45 06/01/2008 There were a long stretch of years in the 80s when it was cool for girls to wear the YSL parfum Rive Gauche. Remember the bottle/can? reply 46 06/01/2008 I sit here weeping, smoking a Gauloise and drinking my favorite varietal of vintage Krug as I type this. Monsieur Saint-Laurent was, and always will be, one of the most important men in the history of fashion. My life was irrevocably changed upon seeing the first photographs of a [italic]Le Smoking[/italic] ensemble, and I've worshiped Mrs. Kempner and every other major YSL acolyte since my earliest days of dialing the phone with a pencil. Although the funeral arrangements are not yet finalised, I will be on the first Air France flight to de Gaulle in the morning, and in Monsieur Saint-Laurent's honor I've booked the suite at Le Meurice where I first met him and his partner Pierre.

It overlooks his favorite section of the Tuileries, and I only regret that I missed their [italic]printemps[/italic] bloom. by Anonymous His film collaborations with Catherine Deneuve were among the best contemporary costumes in film. Belle de Jour is perhaps the chicest movie of all time. by Anonymous reply 63 06/02/2008 After he retired, I really thought Alber Elbaz would be able to keep the line going. I think he's the true heir of YSL as evidenced by his genius work for Lanvin. Tom Ford was a disaster, basically using the YSL brand to further his own tacky image. YSL himself was quoted as saying "well, he does what he can", upon Ford's 1st YSL collection. by Anonymous reply 64 06/02/2008 The Russian collection was a real watershed. For the first time, a Parisian couturier restaged his show in NYC, the hype was so great and the clothes so in-demand. Easily the most influential designer of the century, maybe after Coco Chanel.

by Anonymous reply 65 06/02/2008 He was the real deal, a designer and artist. Last one of them alive is Pierre Cardin. I have a lot of respect for Ralph Lauren. He is not so much a desiger as the best merchandiser who ever lived. He designs to the extent the he creates a lifestyle. Saint Laurent was a designer. No one was close. Certainly not Tom Ford. I don't get him at all- he's part of the fashion bullshit world (which is about 90% of all of them.) by Anonymous He always seemed so fragile even when he was much younger. It's amazing that someone so shy and fragile could elicit so much change. by Anonymous reply 71 06/04/2008 "The word "genius" is thrown around so much, but darling if the shoe fits", to quote Helen Sinclair in "Bullets Over Broadway". A man who poured his soul into beauty. I'm a huge fan, of YSL and fashion in general, and it is rare that a designer ever has a perfect collection.

YSL somehow did so regularly and out of the 1000s of pieces he's made I've seen maybe a dozen that didn't work. People can say what he did was trivial, but there won't be another like him in our lifetimes, such was his influence on how we perceive fashion and dressing. RIP, Monsieur Saint Laurent. Yves Saint Laurent dies at 71 - Columns - News Yves Saint Laurent dies at 71 Monday, 02 June 2008 Yves Saint Laurent, the founder of the eponymous French fashion house died on Sunday, according to Reuters. Saint Laurent had lived in seclusion in the past few years and had been in poor health. One of a handful of designers who dominated 20th century fashion - on a par with Christian Dior, Coco Chanel and Paul Poiret - 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. He retired in 2002 and was rarely seen in public.

Related News To the great YSL | Yatzer To the great YSL View all Photos YSL | Yves Henri Donat Dave Mathieu-Saint-Laurent (August 1, 1936 – June 1, 2008) PARIS (AFP) — Yves Saint Laurent, one of the great fashion designers of the 20th century who dressed some of the world's most glamorous women, has died at the age of 71 after a long illness. Saint Laurent, who whose black trouser suits and safari jackets became a became an icon of women's liberation in the 1960s, died late Sunday, the Pierre-Berge-Saint Laurent Foundation. He had suffered poor mental and physical health for much of his life. The reclusive designer retired from haute couture in 2002 after four decades at the top, designing for French actress Catherine Deneuve and using supermodels such as Jerry Hall and Laetetia Casta to show off his clothes. French leaders and fashion chief hailed Saint Laurent as a fashion revolutionary.

Pierre Berge, his former lover and longtime business partner, said: "He knew perfectly well that he had revolutionised haute couture, the important place he occupied in the second half of the 20th century." "One of the greatest names of fashion has disappeared, the first to elevate haute couture to the rank of art," said French President Nicolas Sarkozy. " Yves Saint Laurent infused his label with his creative genius, elegant and refined personality, discrete and distinguished, during a half century of work, in both luxury and ready-to-wear, because he was convinced that beauty was a necessary luxury for all men and all women," Sarkozy said in a statement.

French Prime Minister Francois Fillon called Saint Laurent an "artist of genius" who could turn "a sobre dinner jacket" into "a symbol of French elegance." During his farewell in 2002, Saint Laurent said he had "always given the highest importance of all to respect for this craft, which is not exactly an art, but which needs an artist to exist." One of a handful of designers who dominated 20th century fashion -- with Christian Dior, Coco Chanel and Paul Poiret -- Yves Henri Donat Mathieu Saint Laurent was born in Oran, Algeria, on August 1, 1936, when the North African country was a still French territory. A shy, lonely, child, he was taunted over his homosexuality and became fascinated by clothes, and already had a solid portfolio of sketches when he first arrived in Paris in 1953, aged 17. Vogue editor Michel de Brunoff, who became a key supporter, was quickly won over, and published the images. The following year Saint Laurent won three of the four categories in a design competition in Paris -- the fourth went to his contemporary Karl Lagerfeld, now at Chanel.

De Brunoff advised Christian Dior to hire him and he rapidly became heir apparent to the great couturier, taking over the house when Dior died suddenly three years later. However in 1960, Saint Laurent was called up to fight in his native Algeria, where an independence war was under way. Less than three weeks later he won an exemption on health grounds, but when he returned to Paris Dior had already found a replacement for him, Marc Bohan. With his associate Berge, Saint Laurent resolved to strike out on his own, with Berge taking care of the business side. Saint Laurent's success lay in the harmony he achieved between body and garment -- what he called "the total silence of clothing." He was also in the right place at the right time. He founded his own couture house at the start of the 1960s, at a time when the world was changing and there was a new appetite for originality. Saint Laurent rode his luck through the rise of the youth market and pop culture fuelled by the economic boom of the 1960s, when women suddenly had more economic freedom.

His name and the familiar YSL logo became synonymous with all the latest trends, highlighted by the creation of the Rive Gauche ready-to-wear label and perfume, as well as astute licensing deals for accessories and perfumes. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, he set the pace for fashion around the world, opening up the Japanese market and subsequently expanding to South Korea and Taiwan. But Saint Laurent's career was not without controversy. In 1971 a collection modelled on the styles of World War II Paris was slammed by some American critics, and his launch in the mid 1970s of a perfume called "Opium" brought accusations that he was condoning drug use. For fellow-designer Christian Lacroix, the reason for Saint Laurent's success was his astonishing versatility. There had, Lacroix said, been other great designers but none with the same range. "Chanel, Schiaparelli, Balenciaga and Dior all did extraordinary things. But they worked within a particular style," he explained.

" Yves Saint Laurentis much more versatile, like a combination of all of them." In his later years the depression that had haunted him all his life became more oppressive, and at his farewell bash in 2002 Saint Laurent admitted to having recourse to "those false friends which are tranquillisers and narcotics." Something to remember Yves Saint Laurent Le Smoking/Bay by Michael Zavros 195 x 250cm oil on canvas 2006 + Yves St. Laurent Wished He Was A Beatnik... Instead, We Got A Prince. Rare Interview by Susan Kirschbaum To the great YSL Yves Saint Laurent dead at 71 - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) Yves Saint Laurent dead at 71 Updated June 03, 2008 07:48:00 Yves Saint Laurent, one the top fashion designers of the 20th century, died on Sunday evening (local time) in Paris, France. He was 71. The reclusive French maestro had been ill for some time. He retired from haute couture in 2002 after four decades at the top of his trade.

During his farewell appearance, Saint Laurent told reporters he had "always given the highest importance of all to respect for this craft, which is not exactly an art, but which needs an artist to exist." Career highlights Yves Henri Donat Mathieu Saint Laurent was born in the coastal town of Oran, Algeria, on August 1, 1936. At the time the North African country was still considered part of France. A shy, lonely child, he became fascinated by clothes and already had a solid portfolio of sketches when he first arrived in Paris in 1953. Vogue editor Michel de Brunoff was quickly won over and published them. The following year Saint Laurent won three of the four categories in a design competition in Paris - the fourth went to Karl Lagerfeld, now at Chanel. Discerning the young man's potential, de Brunoff advised Christian Dior to hire him and he rapidly emerged as heir apparent to the great couturier. He took over the house when Dior died suddenly three years later. Saint Laurent once said of his mentor: "Dior fascinated me. I couldn't speak in front of him. He taught me the basis of my art.

Whatever was to happen next, I never forgot the years spent at his side." In 1960, like many Frenchmen of his age, Saint Laurent was called up to fight in his native Algeria, where an independence war was under way. Less than three weeks later he won an exemption on health grounds, but when he returned to Paris he learnt that Dior had already found a replacement for him - Marc Bohan. With his close associate and lover Pierre Berge, Saint Laurent resolved to strike out on his own. Berge survives the couturier and still takes care of the business side of things. Successes Saint Laurent's success lay in the harmony he achieved between body and garment - what he called "the total silence of clothing". He was also in the right place at the right time. Having learned his trade at the house of Dior, he founded his own couture house at the start of the 1960s - a time when the world was changing and there was a new appetite for originality. Saint Laurent rode his luck through the rise of the youth market and pop culture in the 1960s, when women suddenly had more economic freedom.

His name and the familiar YSL logo became synonymous with all the latest trends, highlighted by the creation of the Rive Gauche ready-to-wear label and perfume, as well as astute licensing deals for accessories and perfumes. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, he set the pace for fashion around the world, opening up the Japanese market and subsequently expanding to South Korea and Taiwan. But Saint Laurent's career was not without controversy. In 1971, a collection modelled on the styles of World War II Paris was slammed by some American critics. Meanwhile, his launch in the mid 1970s of a perfume called Opium brought accusations that he was condoning drug use. For fellow designer Christian Lacroix, the reason for Saint Laurent's success was his astonishing versatility. There had been other great designers but none with the same range, according to Lacroix. "Chanel, Schiaparelli, Balenciaga and Dior all did extraordinary things. But they worked within a particular style," he said. "Yves Saint Laurent is much more versatile, like a combination of all of them.

I sometimes think he's got the form of Chanel with the opulence of Dior and the wit of Schiaparelli." - ABC/AFP First posted June 02, 2008 08:45:00 Top Stories Yves Saint Laurent dead at 71: Tributes pour in to French king of haute couture - Telegraph Yves Saint Laurent bows out 05 Jan 2002 As he bowed out seven years ago, Saint Laurent said: "I have nothing in common with this new world of fashion, which has been reduced to mere window-dressing.

Elegance and beauty have been banished." Mr Berge said on France's LCI television: "He knew perfectly well that he had revolutionised haute couture, the important place he occupied in the second half of the 20th century." He went on: "Yves Saint Laurent knew perfectly well that he had transformed the world and fashion, that all the women of the world owed a debt to him in a certain way." President Sarkozy said in a statement that with Saint Laurent's death "one of the greatest names in fashion has disappeared, the first to elevate haute couture to the rank of art and that gave him global influence". "Yves Saint Laurent infused his label with his creative genius, elegant and refined personality, discrete and distinguished, during a half century of work, in both luxury and ready-to-wear, because he was convinced that beauty was a necessary luxury for all men and all women," Mr Sarkozy added. Alexandra Shulman, the editor of British Vogue, said he helped bring fashion to the people. "Before that people had small salons for rich people," she said. "He was young and groovy.

Pop stars were hanging out with him and younger generations related to him." 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. A shy, lonely, child, he became fascinated by clothes, and already had a solid portfolio of sketches when he first arrived in Paris in 1953, aged 17. Michel de Brunoff, editor of Vogue, who was to become a key supporter, was quickly won over, and published them. The following year Saint Laurent won three of the four categories in a design competition in Paris – and de Brunoff advised Christian Dior to hire him. He took over the fashion house when Dior died suddenly three years later, but in 1960 was called up to fight in his native Algeria in the war of independence. On his return, he struck out on his own founding his own couture house at the start of the 1960s, at a time when the world was changing and there was a new appetite for originality.

Saint Laurent rode his luck through the rise of the youth market and pop culture fuelled by the economic boom of the 1960s, when women suddenly had more economic freedom. His name and the familiar YSL logo became synonymous with all the latest trends and one of his best-known creations, a ladies jacket and pants called "le smoking", became a symbol for the emerging women's movement. In his later years the depression that had haunted him all his life became more oppressive, and at his farewell bash in 2002 Saint Laurent admitted to having recourse to "those false friends which are tranquillisers and narcotics". However, his designs from all seasons are still coveted and worn regularly by adoring fashionistas. Fashion - Entertainment - smh.com.au Yves Saint Laurent, one the top French designers of the 20th century, died last night in Paris, a source in the fashion icon's foundation said. "Yves Saint Laurent died Sunday at 11.10pm,'' the source in Pierre-Berge-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.

One of a handful of designers who dominated 20th century fashion - on a par with Christian Dior, Coco Chanel and Paul Poiret - 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. A shy, lonely, child, he became fascinated by clothes, and already had a solid portfolio of sketches when he first arrived in Paris in 1953, aged 17. Vogue editor Michel de Brunoff, who was to become a key supporter, was quickly won over, and published them. The following year Saint Laurent won three of the four categories in a design competition in Paris -- the fourth went to his contemporary Karl Lagerfeld, now at Chanel. Discerning the young man's potential, de Brunoff advised Christian Dior to hire him and he rapidly emerged as heir apparent to the great couturier, taking over the house when Dior died suddenly three years later. However in 1960, like many Frenchmen of his age, Saint Laurent was called up to fight in his native Algeria, where an independence war was under way.

Less than three weeks later he won an exemption on health grounds, but when he returned to Paris Dior had already found a replacement for him, in the person of Marc Bohan. With his close associate and lover Pierre Berge, Saint Laurent resolved to strike out on his own, with Berge, who survives the couturier, taking care of the business side. Saint Laurent's success lay in the harmony he achieved between body and garment -- what he called "the total silence of clothing''. He was also in the right place at the right time. Having learned his trade at the house of Dior, he founded his own couture house at the start of the 1960s, at a time when the world was changing and there was a new appetite for originality. Saint Laurent rode his luck through the rise of the youth market and pop culture fuelled by the economic boom of the 1960s, when women suddenly had more economic freedom. His name and the familiar YSL logo became synonymous with all the latest trends, highlighted by the creation of the Rive Gauche ready-to-wear label and perfume, as well as astute licensing deals for accessories and perfumes.

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, he set the pace for fashion around the world, opening up the Japanese market and subsequently expanding to South Korea and Taiwan. In his later years the depression that had haunted him all his life became more oppressive. When he bowed out of fashion in 2002, Saint Laurent spoke of his battles with depression, drugs and loneliness, though he gave no indication that those problems were directly tied to his decision to stop working. "I've known fear and terrible solitude,'' he said. "Tranquilisers and drugs, those phony friends. The prison of depression and hospitals. I've emerged from all this, dazzled but sober.'' AFP/AP French fashion icon Yves Saint Laurent dies at 71 (Wizbang Pop!) French fashion icon Yves Saint Laurent dies at 71 Posted by Tracey Coyle Published: June 1, 2008 - 9:13 PM French fashion icon Yves Saint Laurent, widely hailed as one of the greatest designers of the 20th century, died Sunday in Paris. He was 71.

"Yves Saint Laurent died Sunday at 11:10 pm," announced his foundation, the Pierre-Berge-Saint Laurent Foundation. 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. During his farewell appearance seven years ago, Saint Laurent had told reporters he had "always given the highest importance of all to respect for this craft, which is not exactly an art, but which needs an artist to exist." One of a handful of designers who dominated 20th century fashion -- on a par with Christian Dior, Coco Chanel and Paul Poiret -- 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.

Obituary: A giant of French fashion | SBS News Obituary: A giant of French fashion Yves Saint Laurent in the 1960s Yves Saint Laurent, who died on Sunday, was one of a handful of designers who dominated 20th century fashion, on a par with Christian Dior and Coco Chanel. By Tweet Yves Saint Laurent, who died on Sunday aged 71, was one of a handful of designers who dominated 20th century fashion, on a par with Christian Dior and Coco Chanel. The reclusive haute couturier, who retired from the company which bore his name in 2002 after four decades at the top of his trade, had been ill for some time. In Pictures: The life of Yves Saint Laurent During his farewell appearance seven years ago, Saint Laurent told reporters he had "always given the highest importance of all to respect for this craft, which is not exactly an art, but which needs an artist to exist." 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.

A shy, lonely, child, he became fascinated by clothes, and already had a solid portfolio of sketches when he first arrived in Paris in 1953, aged 17. Design competition Vogue editor Michel de Brunoff, who was to become a key supporter, was quickly won over, and published them. The following year Saint Laurent won three of the four categories in a design competition in Paris -- the fourth went to his contemporary Karl Lagerfeld, now at Chanel. Discerning the young man's potential, de Brunoff advised Christian Dior to hire him and he rapidly emerged as heir apparent to the great couturier, taking over the house when Dior died suddenly three years later. Saint Laurent would say of his mentor: "Dior fascinated me. I couldn't speak in front of him. He taught me the basis of my art. Whatever was to happen next, I never forgot the years spent at his side." However in 1960, like many Frenchmen of his age, Saint Laurent was called up to fight in his native Algeria, where an independence war was under way.

Less than three weeks later he won an exemption on health grounds, but when he returned to Paris it was to learn that Dior had already found a replacement for him, in the shape of Marc Bohan. Ready-to-wear labels With his close associate and lover Pierre Berge, Saint Laurent resolved to strike out on his own, with Berge, who survives the designer, taking care of the business side of the new firm. Saint Laurent's success lay in the harmony he achieved between body and garment -- what he called "the total silence of clothing." He was also in the right place at the right time. Having learned his trade at the house of Dior, he founded his own couture house at the start of the 1960s, at a time when the world was changing and there was a new appetite for originality. Saint Laurent rode his luck through the rise of the youth market and pop culture fuelled by the economic boom of the 1960s, when women suddenly had more economic freedom.

His name and the familiar YSL logo became synonymous with all the latest trends, highlighted by the creation of the Rive Gauche ready-to-wear label and perfume, as well as astute licensing deals for accessories and perfumes. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, he set the pace for fashion around the world, opening up the Japanese market and subsequently expanding to South Korea and Taiwan. Battle with depression Among his many fans in his native France was the actress Catherine Deneuve, who was always to be seen at his shows. Saint Laurent's career was not without controversy. In 1971 a collection modelled on the styles of World War II Paris was slammed by some American critics, and his launch in the mid 1970s of a perfume called "Opium" brought accusations that he was condoning drug use. For fellow-designer Christian Lacroix, the reason for Saint Laurent's success was his astonishing versatility. There had, Lacroix said, been other great designers but none with the same range. "Chanel, Schiaparelli, Balenciaga and Dior all did extraordinary things. But they worked within a particular style," he explained.

"Yves Saint Laurent is much more versatile, like a combination of all of them. "I sometimes think he's got the form of Chanel with the opulence of Dior and the wit of Schiaparelli." In his later years the depression that had haunted him all his life became more oppressive, and at his farewell bash in 2002 Saint Laurent admitted to having recourse to "those false friends which are tranquillisers and narcotics." Advertisement

Question: In which North African country was Yves St. Laurent born as Henri Donat Mathieu?
Answer: Algeria