StyleWatch SpecialYSL: A Life in Fashion
Designer Yves Saint Laurent left behind an unparalleled legacy of style, elegance and innovation. Take a look back at the man, his designs and his star fans. By Melissa Liebling-Goldberg
Credit: Andre Perlstein/Camera Press/Retna
Updated: Monday Jun 02, 2008 | 02:05 PM EDT
WORKED UP
The designer – here working with a model in his Paris studio – was known for his shy demeanor and fragile mental state, following a breakdown during his service in the French army in 1960. At his retirement in 2002, Saint Laurent said, "I have known fear and the terrors of solitude. I have known those fairweather friends we call tranquilizers and drugs. I have known the prison of depression and the confinement of hospital. But one day, I was able to come through all of that, dazzled yet sober."
