Yves Saint Laurent Dies at 71

Legendary fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent died Sunday in Paris, France. He was 71.

According to his longtime friend and associate, Pierre Berge, Saint Laurent died Sunday evening following a long illness.

He was “unquestionably the greatest designer” from the 1950s to 2000, Valerie Steele, director of The Museum at FIT (New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology) tells USA Today. “Just as Chanel brought modernism into women’s fashion, you could say Yves Saint Laurent brought fashion up to a kind of contemporary life.”

“Most designers are incredibly lucky if they can contribute one thing to fashion,” Steele continues. “But he was like Picasso: He contributed to so many significant movements. It’s impossible to imagine contemporary fashion without this man.”

RIP YSL.