Who Was Yves Saint Laurent? The Designer, the House and Saint Laurent Today

Yves Saint Laurent was the French designer who founded his couture house in Paris in 1961 with his partner Pierre Bergé, and the label still carries his name. Today Saint Laurent is led by Anthony Vaccarello, and you can shop the current ready-to-wear, bags and shoes at Coveti. See every house we carry in the Coveti designer index.

The designer

Yves Saint Laurent was born on 1 August 1936 in Oran, Algeria. He moved to Paris as a teenager and joined Christian Dior, and when Dior died in 1957 he became head designer of the house at 21. His Trapeze collection of 1958 made his name.

After his military service he left Dior and, with Pierre Bergé, opened his own house. The first Yves Saint Laurent couture collection was shown on 29 January 1962. He retired in 2002 and died in Paris on 1 June 2008.

What he changed

Saint Laurent is remembered for taking menswear codes and cutting them for women. In 1966 he showed Le Smoking, the first tuxedo designed for a woman, and the safari jacket, the jumpsuit and the trouser suit followed. The 1965 Mondrian dress turned a painting into a shift dress.

In 1966 he also opened Saint Laurent Rive Gauche, a ready-to-wear boutique on the Left Bank. It was one of the first times a couture designer sold ready-to-wear under his own name in his own shop, and it is the root of the clothes the house sells today.

The Cassandre logo

The interlocking YSL monogram was drawn for the house in 1961 by the poster artist A. M. Cassandre, and the house still calls it the Cassandre. It is the gold hardware on most Saint Laurent bags and the heel of the Opyum sandal. Read more in what the YSL logo means.

Saint Laurent after Yves

Gucci Group, now Kering, bought the house in 1999. Tom Ford designed the ready-to-wear until 2004, followed by Stefano Pilati. In 2012 Hedi Slimane renamed the ready-to-wear Saint Laurent, which is why the clothes carry Saint Laurent while the beauty line keeps Yves Saint Laurent. Anthony Vaccarello has been creative director since 2016.

Vaccarello works with the founder’s codes: a long, lean line, the sharp shoulder, sheer black lace and the stiletto. The museums in Paris and Marrakech, opened in 2017, keep the archive.

A timeline of the house

1936: Yves Saint Laurent is born in Oran, Algeria. 1957: he becomes head designer at Dior at 21. 1961: he founds his house with Pierre Bergé, and A. M. Cassandre draws the YSL monogram. 1962: the first couture show, on 29 January.

1965: the Mondrian dress. 1966: Le Smoking and the opening of Saint Laurent Rive Gauche. 1968: the safari jacket. 1999: Gucci Group, now Kering, buys the house. 2002: Yves Saint Laurent retires from couture. 2008: he dies in Paris. 2012: the ready-to-wear is renamed Saint Laurent. 2016: Anthony Vaccarello becomes creative director. 2017: the museums open in Paris and Marrakech.

His muses

Saint Laurent dressed and worked closely with a small circle of women. Catherine Deneuve wore his clothes on screen and off, Betty Catroux shared his lean, androgynous look, and Loulou de la Falaise worked in the studio on jewellery and accessories for three decades. The Loulou bag carries her name today.

Why the house still matters

Few designers have changed what women wear as directly as Yves Saint Laurent. The trouser suit, the tuxedo and the safari jacket are now ordinary parts of a wardrobe, and each began on his runway. Buying Saint Laurent now is buying into that line: tailoring first, black as a colour, and an evening look that relies on cut more than decoration.

For how the codes look today, read Le Smoking now, Saint Laurent dresses and the Fall Winter 2026 edit.

Shop Saint Laurent at Coveti

• Saint Laurent Jacket in Cotton Serge, $4,230
• Saint Laurent Short Jacket in Suede Lambskin, $9,470
• Saint Laurent Jacket in Vintage Split Leather, Militaire, $9,310
• Saint Laurent Cassandre Reversible Jacket in Brushed Cotton Canvas, $4,710
• Saint Laurent Bomber Jacket in Bubbled Lambskin and Shearling, $12,010
• Saint Laurent Jacket in Cotton, Mastic, $4,310
• Saint Laurent Belted Jacket in Suede and Shearling, $10,420
• Saint Laurent Bomber Jacket in Vintage Split Leather, $9,950

See every piece on the Saint Laurent brand page.

For fit, read the Saint Laurent size guide, and for the bags, start with every YSL bag explained.

Saint Laurent at a glance

• Founded: Paris, 1961, by Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé
• First couture show: 29 January 1962
• Logo: the Cassandre YSL monogram, drawn by A. M. Cassandre in 1961
• Signature: Le Smoking, the first tuxedo for women, 1966
• Owner: Kering, since 1999
• Creative director: Anthony Vaccarello, since 2016
• Made in: Italy for most ready-to-wear, bags and shoes, with some pieces made in France and Japan

Buying Saint Laurent at Coveti

Every Saint Laurent piece at Coveti is 100% authentic and checked before dispatch. Each product page lists the composition, the country of origin, the sizes Saint Laurent makes for that style and the brand’s own fit note. Coveti ships worldwide by DHL Express and FedEx International Priority, insured and signature required. Most regions ship Delivered Duty Unpaid, so local duties are payable on import. Browse the full Saint Laurent edit, and for sizing read the Saint Laurent size guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who founded Saint Laurent?

Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé founded the house in Paris in 1961. The first couture collection was shown on 29 January 1962.

Who designs Saint Laurent now?

Anthony Vaccarello has been creative director of Saint Laurent since 2016.

Is Saint Laurent the same as YSL?

Yes. YSL is Yves Saint Laurent. Since 2012 the fashion line has been called Saint Laurent, while the beauty line, licensed to L'Oréal, keeps the Yves Saint Laurent name.

Who owns Saint Laurent?

Saint Laurent has been part of Kering, formerly Gucci Group, since 1999.

What is Yves Saint Laurent famous for?

Le Smoking, the first tuxedo for women, in 1966, the Saint Laurent Rive Gauche ready-to-wear boutique, the safari jacket, the Mondrian dress and the Cassandre YSL logo.

By Gemma Deeks, Fashion Editor at Coveti. Prices and availability checked on 18 October 2026.