Satin and crystal platform sandals.

Born in Oran, Algeria, in 1936, Yves Saint Laurent showed an extraordinary talent for design from a very young age. Moving to Paris at just 17, he quickly entered the world of haute couture and in 1955 was hired as an assistant to Christian Dior. Following Dior's sudden death in 1957, Saint Laurent – only twenty-one – was appointed creative director of the maison. His first success, the “Trapeze” collection, was met with enthusiasm and marked the beginning of a new aesthetic vision.

After leaving the Dior house, in 1961 he founded the Yves Saint Laurent brand together with his partner and business associate Pierre Bergé. From that moment, his style became revolutionary: Saint Laurent was among the first to bring menswear into the female wardrobe, creating iconic pieces such as the famous Le Smoking, the women's tuxedo, a symbol of empowerment and power. Inspired by art, culture, and the street, he reinterpreted Mondrian, Picasso, Africa, and the Orient, transforming fashion into a continuous dialogue with the contemporary world.

In 1966 he opened the Rive Gauche line, making luxury prêt-à-porter accessible to a wider audience and marking a historic turning point in the sector. However, behind the success lay a fragile personality, marked by depression and addiction, which accompanied him throughout his life.

Yves Saint Laurent retired from the scene in 2002 and died in 2008. His legacy remains immense: he liberated women from rigid rules, proving that fashion can be simultaneously art, provocation, and an instrument of social change.

• Yves Saint Laurent.
• Satin and crystals.
• Platform.