Yves Saint Laurent

Born in 1936, St Laurent is considered by many to be one of the fashion world's greatest icons of the 20th Century. He began his career when he submitted three sketches to a fashion competition at the age of seventeen. He later became the head of the House of Dior and then began his own fashion label in 1976. His first customer was French actress Catherine Denevue. Later in life, he became the first living fashion designer to be honored by the Metropolitan museum of art. He was romantically involved with Pierre Berge, his business partner and friend. St Laurent died in 2008 of brain cancer.