Biography of Yves Saint-Laurent

Born in Oran, Algeria, 1936, he studied in Paris and joined the House of Dior in 1955 after winning a Wool Secretariat design competition. On Dior's death in 1957, he took over the house. In 1962, he opened his own house and launched the first of his 160 Rive Gauche boutiques in 1966, selling ready-to-wear clothes, a trend that was soon copied by other fashion houses.

Saint-Laurent also creates costumes for theatre, ballet, and films, and in 1985 was awarded a Best Fashion Design Oscar.