Saint-Laurent was famous for designing women's clothing and at age 21 he became the head designer for the company House of Dior. He was hired to take the place of the late Christian Dior died in 1957.

He retired from his job there and in the fashion industry in 2002, but not before starting his own clothing line and shop with Pierre Berge in 1962. It was once rumored that woman who wore his newly designed pantsuits, were not allowed to eat at restaurants or stay in hotels in New York City and London, England.

"Fashion was not only supposed to make women beautiful, but to reassure them, to give them confidence, to allow them to come to terms with themselves," Saint-Laurent once said.

Saint-Laurent not only fought the effects of cancer, but through the years dealt with drug use and depression.

"I've known fear and terrible solitude. Tranquilizers and drugs, those phony friends. The prison of depression and hospitals. I've emerged from all this, dazzled but sober," stated Saint-Laurent.

Source: By Wikinews

Fashion Against AIDS blogger writes "I'm kind of speechless right now because to me he was definitely one of the most important couturiers of the XX. century.

"When he was only 21 years old, Yves Saint-Laurent became the creative head of Dior, where he led the maison from it's famous "New Look" to a more modern concept. A few years later, he launched his own label, which was totally essential for the look of the Beat generation.

"His A - line collection turned out to be as groundbreaking as his safari jackets and his tuxedo for women. His ideas had certainly been visionary and he had surely inspired a hell lot of people. May he rest in peace!"

Below is the company official information

Founded in 1961, Yves Saint Laurent is one of the greatest fashion names of the late 20th century.

Throughout the years, the groundbreaking designs of the Couture house created innovative pieces
of clothing.

Yves Saint Laurent was the first Couture house to launch, in 1966, the modern concept of luxury women's prêt-à-porter, in a collection called ‘Rive Gauche’. It was followed in 1969 by a ‘Rive Gauche men’s ready-to-wear line. The Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche boutiques were soon opened throughout the world, allowing fashion-conscious working individuals to wear the Yves Saint Laurent designs. This represented the first step in making luxury labels accessible to a wider public.

In 1999, the Gucci Group (the luxury division of the PPR Group) acquired Yves Saint Laurent. Since then the brand has been repositioned at the top end of the luxury goods markets. Under the management of Valérie Hermann, appointed CEO in 2005, and Stefano Pilati, Creative Director since 2004, the brand has renewed the exceptional legacy of its founder while bringing a contemporary approach to its collections, which combine elegance, top-quality fabrics, refined and discreet but recognizable details.

Today Yves Saint Laurent’s collections include women’s and men’s ready-to-wear, shoes, handbags, small leather goods, jewellery, scarves, ties and eyewear. They are designed for both modern women who have a keen sense of freedom and follow their instincts with assurance, captivating others with their elegance, as well as men who prefer a nonconformist look and assert the different facets of their personality in a modern and sensitive way.

The Yves Saint Laurent network currently has 63 directly-operated stores, including flagship stores in Paris, New York, London, Milan, Hong Kong and Tokyo. The brand is also present in the most prestigious multi-brand boutiques and department stores in the world.