The foundation

• The foundation
• Founders
• Letter from Pierre Bergé
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Founders

In 1962, Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé launched the Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture house.
40 years later, they decided to create a Foundation to prolong the history of the House.

Yves Saint Laurent

Yves Saint Laurent was born on 1st August 1936 in Oran, Algeria, where he spent his youth.

In 1953, after a period at a fashion school, he was awarded first prize in the Concours du Secrétariat de la Laine, for a cocktail dress he designed.
Michel de Brunhoff, the editor of Vogue, introduced him to Christian Dior, who took him on to work with him until Christian Dior's death in 1957. Yves Saint Laurent took over as Art Director at Christian Dior company, and his first collection, the ""Ligne Trapèze"", became a resounding success the world over.
In 1961 came the split between "Christian Dior" and Yves Saint Laurent, who decided to open, in partnership with Pierre Bergé, his own fashion house.
29th January 1962 saw the presentation of the first "Yves Saint Laurent" collection in the former private residence of the painter Forain, in rue Spontini. This first collection was prepared by 80 dressmakers in 3 workshops.
In September 1966, the first prêt-à-porter Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche shop was opened in Paris, at 21 rue de Tournon, which then moved to 6 Place Saint-Sulpice.
On January 7th 2002, Yves Saint Laurent convened a press conference to announce his retirement from Haute Couture.
On January 22nd 2002, at a special gala presentation at the Centre Georges Pompidou, Yves Saint Laurent unveiled his Spring/Summer 2002 Haute Couture line - his final collection. The show also included a retrospective of the 40-year career of Yves Saint Laurent featuring more than 300 models. Then, he devotes himself to the activities of his foundation.
Yves Saint Laurent is a grand officier of the Legion of Honor.
On June 1st, Yves Saint Laurent passed away at his Paris home as a result of a glioblastoma (brain tumor).
He would have been aged 72 on August 1st 2008.

Pierre Bergé

Pierre Bergé was born on November 14th 1930 on the Island of Oléron - France.

At a very early age, he became interested in literature and was much influenced by his contact with Jean Giono and Jean Cocteau. He remained a friend of both until their deaths and continues today to take an active interest in their work. He is the holder of the moral rights as concerns the literary and artistic work of Jean Cocteau. In 1958 he met Yves Saint Laurent. They went on to found the Couture House together in 1961. He remains Chairman of the Pierre Bergé Yves Saint Laurent Foundation. He ran the Athénée-Louis Jouvet theatre where he produced Peter Schaffer's "Equus" with François Périer, four plays by Molière (directed by Antoine Vitez), "Navire Night" by Maguerite Duras (directed by Claude Régy).
Following this he founded the "Lundis Musicaux de l'Athénée" (1977) where artists such as Dame Janet Baker, Montserrat Caballe, Boris Christoff, Placido Domingo, Mirella Freni, Gundula Janowitz, Gwyneth Jones, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Dame Joan Sutherland, Jessye Norman, Jose Van Dam, Shirley Verret, Jon Vickers and many others performed.
He has put on concerts by Philip Glass and John Cage, and a show at Pigall's starring Ingrid Caven.
For many years he has supported the work of Robert Wilson throughout the world and, more recently, that of Peter Brook. He was appointed goodwill ambassador of UNESCO on July 2nd 1993.
On August 31st 1988 François Mitterrand, President of France, appointed Pierre Bergé President of the Paris Opera. He remained President until 1994 when he became honorary President of the Paris National Opera.
He is on the Board of various French and foreign companies.
He has received the following honours: Officier dans l'Ordre d'Orange-Nassau Officier de l'Ordre National du Mérite Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres Commandeur de la Légion d'Honneur.