June 2008
Today, our age has lost a special individual who had remarkably remodeled the 20th century fashion landscape. Yves Saint Laurent, at 71, passed away on 1 June, 2008, from a long illness at his Paris home.
Born August 1, 1936, the legendary French designer is largely honored as one of Fashion's great icons, a reputation that has carried on into the 21st century and well beyond. Following Christian Dior's death in 1957, a then-22 year old Saint Laurent, who had begun his odyssey with the formidable Dior five years earlier, took the reins and successfully saved the fashion house from financial ruin.
His eponymous label YSL began in 1962, financed with his business partner Pierre Bergé. His first collection debuted that year on 19 January. YSL is to fashion what Picasso is to art: they are both masters in their own fields, wonder boys who mixed an other-worldly wisdom into their craft and weaved an entirely new reality for their art.
Standing out amongst the folds of YSL's most famous collections is the ostensibly classic Le Smoking suit. More than a suit, this women's tuxedo has come to be recognized as an emblem of feministic fashion and forward progress, without the compromise of ideal and style. YSL had come to recognize the modern woman's innate need for independence and freedom, an understanding that would win him the admiration of women and men the world over.
In the same year, he launched his ready-to-wear collection with Rive Gauche. Saint Laurent sought inspiration on his beloved Parisian streets, in the eyes and worlds of people who would inspire his beaknik fashion trends, and the fierce independence that would inspire his safari jackets in the 60's and 70's.
From the man who famously said, “We must never confuse elegance with snobbery”, Saint Laurent slowly detached himself from the revolutionary in him and embarked on a more conservative journey. The simple belief that classics were the epitome of style itself ultimately sealed his name in fashion history.
The House of Saint Laurent celebrated many wonderful years with its master at the helm till his retirement in 2002. Throughout his illustrious lifetime, Saint Laurent has set many eminent milestones the world would never forget. Today we mourn this glorious icon of fashion, tomorrow we honor his memory, forevermore we cherish his legacy.
“Fashions fade, style is eternal.”
--- Yves Saint Laurent
1 August, 1936 – 1 June, 2008
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