Yves Saint Laurent

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Born 1st. August, 1936, in Oran, Algeria.
French fashion designer.

Full name: Yves Henri Donat Mathieu Saint Laurent.

His mother, Lucienne Saint Laurent, was a beauty and socialite. His father, Charles Saint Laurent, owned a chain of cinemas. His great-great grandfather was the lawyer who drew up the wedding contract between Napoleon Bonaparte and Josephine.

Yves Saint Laurent was bullied at school, and he has blamed this on his homosexuality.

He had wanted to become a theatre set designer, but in 1953 at the age of 17 he won third prize in a prestigious fashion competition for the Wool Secretariat for a little black cocktail dress.

In 1954 he moved to Paris to study at the Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale. He arrived with an introduction to Michel de Brunhoff, the director of French Vogue. Christian Dior hired him immediately and took him under his wing. In October 1957 Yves Saint Laurent was left in charge while Christian Dior went holiday but Christian Dior died of a heart attack. On 15th. November Yves Saint Laurent was named as his successor and became the youngest ever couturier.

His first collection was the Trapeze line which was very successful and pushed up sales by 35 per cent. It was at this time that he met Pierre Bergé who was then the manager and lover of the Parisian painter Bernard Buffet. However, at a weekend party Bernard Buffet went off with his future wife. Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé got together and soon began to live together.

In 1960 Yves Saint Laurent began his national service but after 20 days he suffered a nervous breakdown. He was then sacked from his job. Pierre Bergé rescued him from the psychiatric ward of a Parisian hospital.

In 1961 Yves Saint Laurent set up his own couture house with Pierre Bergé who supplied financial backing.

In 1965 Yves Saint Laurent created the first female tuxedo. In 1966 he was the first couturier to open a ready-to-wear boutique. In 1968 he was the first couturier to use transparent material. He also invented the trouser suit for women.

In 1976 Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé split up, although Pierre Bergé did not moved out of their joint home until 1986. Pierre Bergé continued to be his business manager.

In the 1990s Yves Saint Laurent's appearances in public became more rare.

He came out publicly as gay in an interview for the French daily newspaper Le Figaro in 1991.

In 1993 the fashion house was sold to the pharmaceuticals company Sanofi for £409 million.

In 1997 the a donation of £1 million from Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé allowed the Yves Saint Laurent room to be opened in the French-painting wing of the National Gallery in London. In January 2000 the modern art museum was opened in the Pompidou Centre in Paris after the two had partly sponsored the refurbishment.

In 1999 Gucci bought YSL's ready-to-wear and perfume businesses, and Francois Pinault took over Saint Laurent's haute couture house.

On St Valentine's Day in 2000 mail was stamped in France with designs based on his Pop Art heart images from the 1970s. Yves Saint Laurent's portrait appears on the last-ever 5, 10, and 50 franc pieces to be minted before the introduction of the euro.

The Yves Saint Laurent Museum in the Paris suburbs contains 5000 outfits, 2000 pairs of shoes, and over 10000 pieces of jewellery.

In January 2002 Yves Saint Laurent announced his retirement. His final fashion show was held at the Centre Pompidou in Paris on 22nd. January.

[Sista]

As i recall he also has beautiful gardens in Marrekkesh. When his fashion releases didnt go as positively as desired this became his retreat. I couldnt think of better place myself.

[Anisa]

interesting thanks for info zaine

[Kendra1]

Les Jardins Majorelles in Marrakech are absolutely stunning, definitely worth visiting