Legendary fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent died last night at the age of 71 following a long illness. Beloved by the fashion industry and celebrities alike, he was responsible for some of the most chic, glamorous and cutting edge designs of the last century.

 His prestigious career started at the tender age of 17 when he won first prize in a contest sponsored by the International Wool Secretariat to design a cocktail dress. A year later he met Christian Dior who hired him on the spot, and when Dior died suddenly in 1957 Laurent was appointed to take over as head of the house aged just 21.

 Eleven years later in 1962 he set up his eponymous company with business partner and confidante Pierre Berge - who broke the news to the media last night.

 The designer officially retired from fashion in 2002 but throughout his stellar career gave the world some iconic looks. The classic '60s Le Smoking tuxedo jacket has been a much copied staple in the YSL collection ever since, a white version of which Bianca Jagger wore to her wedding to Mick Jagger in 1971.

 His sleek, timeless designs won him an army of devotees on the Left Bank and the world over, and his legacy will live on through his enormous contribution to fashion history.

 Echoing the feelings of many of his contemporaries, fellow designer Vera Wang told wwd.com, "I think I'm in shock. I'm in fashion today because of him. I lived in Paris right next to his first couture house. My mother adored his work and introduced me to it when I was 16. I feel in love with fashion because of Yves Saint Laurent. He was the first international superstar in the modern era."

 Following Laurent's retirement, Tom Ford was given the daunting task of filling his shoes. In 2004 Ford passed the reigns to his second in command Stefano Pilati, who has been much praised for keeping the house true to Yves aesthetic. Pilati has just announced that tempestuous supermodel Naomi Campbell will front their autumn/winter 2008 campaign.

Belinda White 

 picture -Yves Saint Laurent standing outside his Rive Gauche boutique in France in 1966 alongside a model

Pictures from the memorial service for Yves Saint Laurent