Born August 1, 1936 in Oran,  Algeria, the world had no idea of the force that would eventually be known as Yves St. Laurent. Unarguably the industries most innovative visionaries, Yves would soon grow to bless the fashion world with his originality that was steps, bounds and leaps before its time, though still setting the platform for women and men everywhere. At the seemingly young age of 18, Yves made the decision to take the next step in his fashion career, where he then moved to Paris to enrol in Chambre Syndicale de la Couture where his dresses gained more attention. With great thanks to Michel De Brunoff, Yves was introduced to Christian Dior, where a start to a beautiful career was about to unfold. Studying under Dior, Yves was treated almost like a son. Learning about the fashion world through Dior’s eyes, Yves was able to gain an even further sense of beauty and heart that would from then on out always be portrayed in his designs. When the unfortunate passing of Dior occurred in 1957, it was without question that the brilliant prodigy, Yves, would take over at Dior. Knowing he had extremely large shoes to fill, Yves created his very first line for Dior called Reeves Gouache. To him, this line was a complete success, showcasing his innovative mind and beautiful craftsmanship in a way that could be understood by the everyday woman. Unfortunately, this would be one of the rare cases where a Yves creation would not be taken well by the public. The house of Dior wasted no time and quickly replaced him with designer Marc Bohan, leaving Yves in total distraught. Though saddened, Yves knew he had something beautiful and pure to offer the world, and quickly took action to allow his visions to come in to fruition. Yves made the decision to sue his former mentor for breach of contract and was extremely successful, collecting £48,000. The money and freedom enabled him to open up a fashion house of his own, paired with partner and lover Pierre Berge, the name and force to be reckoned with, YSL, was formed. This timing could not have been more perfect, with the rise of pop culture woman were beginning to yearn for original and fresh designs. While models and actresses continue to gush over his designs, Yves quickly rose to the top of the “fashion pyramid”, and was able to flourish, as he always listened and changed with the needs and wants of women. The 80’s marked Yves as a true icon, as he was the first designer to have a retrospective on his work at the Metropolitan Museum in New York City. Although, only a few years later, Yves found himself in the depths of struggle, as he battled his alcohol and cocaine addictions. He became a recluse and as a result his design “suffered” so to speak. Though the talent and drive that lived within Yves could not keep him from creating brilliance for long. Come the mid 90’s, he was back in action, free’d from him struggles, Yves found an understanding for life that he had lacked in earlier years. He then decided to slow down his work pace, leading to the selling of the company Berge and himself had started, netting the two men a fortune. In 2002, Yves participated in his final show, before retiring for good. This final “goodbye”, marked a monumental man, a legendary mind who had revolutionized the fashion world, and even more so, the way women think and view themselves in society. There is no doubt Yves Saint Laurent will be a name to go down in history, for he continues to inspire and captive minds all over the world, even long after he’s gone.