Yves Saint Laurent's Early Life

Saint Laurent was born on 1 August 1936, in Oran, Algeria, to French parents (Pieds-Noirs), Charles and Lucienne Andrée Mathieu-Saint-Laurent. He grew up in a villa by the Mediterranean with his two younger sisters, Michèle and Brigitte. Saint Laurent liked to create intricate paper dolls, and by his early teen years, he was designing dresses for his mother and sisters.

His talent was recognized when he won first place in a contest by the International Wool Secretariat at the age of 17. This achievement led to his move to Paris at the age of 18. There, he enrolled at the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture where his designs quickly gained notice. Michel De Brunhoff, the editor of Vogue France, introduced Saint Laurent to designer Christian Dior, a giant in the fashion world.

"Dior fascinated me," Saint Laurent later recalled. "I couldn't speak in front of him. He taught me the basis of my art. Whatever was to happen next, I never forgot the years I spent at his side."

Under Dior's tutelage, Saint Laurent's style continued to mature and gain even more notice. Dior hired him as an assistant and later named him his successor.