Yves Henri Donat Mathieu-Saint-Laurent (; 1 August 1936 – 1 June 2008), known as
Yves Saint Laurent, was a
French fashion designer, and is regarded as one of the greatest names in fashion history. In 1985, Caroline Rennolds Milbank wrote, "The most consistently celebrated and influential designer of the past twenty-five years, Yves Saint Laurent can be credited with both spurring the couture's rise from its sixties ashes and with finally rendering
ready-to-wear reputable." He is also credited with having introduced the
tuxedo suit for women and was known for his use of non-European cultural references, and non-white models.