Fashion designer Yves Saint-Laurent was born on August 1, 1936, in Oran, Algeria. At the age of 17, he presented a cocktail dress at a design competition sponsored by the IWS and won the top prize. The editor-in-chief of Vogue, who was a judge at the time, introduced him to Christian Dior. Yves presented the A-line silhouette that Dior had introduced at the competition. This led to him working as Dior's assistant from 1954. After Christian Dior's death in 1957, Yves became his successor at the young age of 21. His first collection, "Trapeze Line," was well-received in 1958. However, he left Dior after being drafted for the Algerian War in 1960. In 1962, he founded his own brand, "Yves Saint Laurent," with his lover, Pierre Bergé. He created designs that have left their mark on fashion history, such as the women's tailored "smoking" style, the "pantaloons," the "safari look," and the "Mondrian look," earning him the nickname "Emperor of Fashion."
In 1966, he opened a boutique in Paris for his ready-to-wear line, "Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche." The name "Rive Gauche" (left bank) symbolizes his stance as a departure from the couture houses of the time, which were located near the Champs-Élysées (right bank). Subsequently, Hedi Slimane took over the men's line in 1997, Alber Elbaz took over Rive Gauche in 1999, Tom Ford in 2001, and Stefano Pilati in 2004.
In 1999, he sold the brand to the Gucci Group. Yves Saint Laurent himself retired after the Paris Haute Couture collection in January 2002. At the same time, the Haute Couture department was closed.

He spent his final years at his home in Morocco, and passed away in June 2008 at the age of 71. His death was reported around the world. Currently, Hedi Slimane serves as creative director of Yves Saint Laurent, and the brand name has been changed to Saint Laurent.