Saint-Laurent, Yves Henri Donat Mathieu (1936- )

French fashion designer. He has had an exceptional influence on fashion in the second half of the 20th century. He began working for Christian Dior 1955 and succeeded him as designer on Dior's death 1957. He established his own label in 1962 and went on to create the first ‘power-dressing’ looks for men and women: classic, stylish city clothes.

In 1966 Saint-Laurent established a chain of boutiques called Rive Gauche selling his ready-to-wear line. By the 1970s he had popularized a style of women's day wear that was inspired by conventionally ‘masculine’ garments such as blazers, trousers, and shirts. He launched a menswear collection in 1974. He continued to produce tailored, stylish designs, but his main influence was in the 1960s-70s. He retired in January 2002.