Yves Saint Laurent (August 1, 1936–June 1, 2008) was a French fashion designer born in French Algeria.
In 1953 he moved
to Paris after winning
a competition
for young fashion designers and quic-kly found work with Christian Dior.
Yves Henri Donat Matthieu Saint Laurent was born
on August 1, 1936, in Oran, Algeria, to Charles
and Lucienne Andrée Mathieu-Saint-Laurent.
He grew up in a villa
by the Mediterranean with his two younger sisters, Michelle and Brigitte. While his family was relatively well off — his father was a lawyer
and insurance broker who owned a chain of cinemas — childhood for the future fashion icon was not easy. Saint Laurent was not popular in school, and was often bullied by schoolmates for appearing to be homosexual.
In 1960 Saint Laurent was called back to his home country of Algeria to fight
for its independence.
He managed to secure
an exemption based on health grounds, but when he returned to Paris, Saint Laurent found that his job with Dior
had disappeared.
The news, at first, was traumatic for the young, fragile designer. Then it became ugly, with Saint Laurent successfully suing his former mentor
for breach of contract,
and collecting £48,000.
The money and the freedom soon presented Saint Laurent with a unique opportunity.
In cooperation with his partner and lover, Pierre Berge,
the designer resolved to open his own fashion house.