Designer Yves St. Laurent Has Died

Stars from Keira Knightley to Catherine Deneuve wear his fashions. The Associated Press is reporting that famed French designer YVES ST. LAURENT , who dressed countless celebrities and royals, has died. He was 71 years old. Born in Algeria in 1936, Laurent studied under CHRISTIAN DIOR before opening his own haute couture house in 1962. He won acclaim for his tuxedo smoking jacket and sleek women's pantsuits, which he feminized with sheer blouses, and was one of the first designers to use African models on the runways. A flock of ready-to-wear boutiques soon followed. Blonde bombshell CATHERINE DENEUVE was his muse and he dressed her for many of her film roles, from 'Belle Du Jour' to 'The Hunger.' He retired in 2002, but recently, young Hollywood has embraced his high-fashion pieces, from MISCHA BARTON and KEIRA KNIGHTLEY to MANDY MOORE and NICOLE RICHIE . (link)