Yves Saint Laurent

Born in Orn, Algeria in 1936, Saint Laurent studied in Paris at the age of Seventeen. He entered a competition sponsored by the International Wool Secretariat and won first place for a cocktail dress. Soon after the contest, he was hired by Dior. Saint Laurent took over the Dior house when Dior passed away.

Many of Saint Laurent’s designs created controversy. Many of his designs didn’t seem Dior, such as his 1958 “Little Girl” collection, which consisted of a narrow-shouldered dress with a semi-fitted bodice and a short flared skirt. In 1960, Saint Laurent was called up to serve in the Algerian war. He was discharged months later due to illness. When he returned to Paris, he found out that Marc Bohen had taken over as head designer at Dior.

Together with business partner Pierre Berge, Saint Laurent founded his own house in 1961. The Saint Laurent house has become one of the most commercially successful housed in Paris. Saint Laurent’s name has become a symbol of Classic Design. Ives Saint Laurent passed away in 2008 at the age of 71.