Founded in 1961, Yves Saint Laurent, was the first house of Haute Couture to present the concept of luxury ready-to-wear garments in the collection of 1966 called "Rive Gauche", synonymous with youth and freedom. This breakthrough represents a critical first step in the modernisation of fashion and it revolutionised the socio-cultural landscape. In 1999, the PPR Group’s division of "luxury goods" acquired Yves Saint Laurent and, under the creative direction of Hedi Slimane from March 2012, the fashion house remains at the top of the luxury brands. Today, Saint Laurent collections include women's wear, menswear, ready-to-wear, shoes, bags, leather goods, jewellery, scarves, ties and sunglasses. In 1996 Pierre Bergé appointed Hedi Slimane as Creative Director of the menswear line, after he became artistic director. The designer revived the “Rive Gauche” of Yves Saint Laurent, based on the Atelier de Couture and the Couture spirit adaptation of “the masculine", reinterpreting the suit. In March 2012 Hedi Slimane assumed total responsibility for the image of the brand and all its collections. Hedi was born in Paris in 1968 and now lives in Los Angeles. See our archive