Thanks to this man and his inimitable fragrances over the years, my mother was easily located around the corner of any store aisle -humming absently, as a general rule, mildly shocked that such family drama could be taking place on her behalf just a few feet away. No small deal when one is about seven and ready to scream for help at the prospect of being lost. Before the advent of Code Adam in big stores and cell phones, we had Mother's tendency to hum and her love for YSL's Paris to fall back on. Never overpowering, just a whiff around some corner at the needed time -a memory, almost - and you were surely on the right trail.

To a hardy partier, top flight designer and spiffily dressed perfumer- may he rest in peace.

http://thecurrent.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/06/ysl-rip.php

Although a troubled and reclusive soul in recent years - he has been one of the greats in dress design - along with Dior and Coco Chanel.

One of the first to dabble in ready to wear designer clothing and the wonderful evening tuxedo for women...

Loved his Opium and Baby Doll perfumes too.

Truly an icon of the industry and there are not many left from that era. I look at him, along with those mentioned by Sherry, in a class all their own.

Loved your story, Kate, about your mother. Isn't it funny how those things stick with us?

The first perfume I ever wore was YSL's "Rive Gauche," a very distinctive fragrance with which all my friends quickly identified me. They could track me through a large building, and I could sometimes hear someone say, "I know she's around here somewhere, because I smell that perfume of hers."

St. Laurent was a man of great importance to the fashion industry in France, where designers are VIPs as major contributors to the culture, the economy, and the image of the country abroad. Here, it would be unusual for the President to attend a fashion designer's funeral, but I wasn't at all surprised to read that Nicholas Sarkozy was present at St. Laurent's.

I think that Mme Sarkozy (Carla Bruni)was a model for YSL in the past too - saw some old footage on the news article reporting Yves death.

Used to have a boss who gave my Rive Gauche every Christmas - used to love it, but got quite a collection in the end. Always thought Baby Doll was so mis-named - it smells of old roses and not at all "young" ... really nice.
Think the brand is now owned by the huge Sanofi corporation (l'Oreal, and a load of others)... sad days eh.