Yves Saint Laurent Dies At 71

Fashion legend Yves Saint Laurent died on Sunday at the age of 71, after a yearlong battle with cancer.

Yves Saint Laurent is one of the most influential and established fashion designers of the 20th century. He was known for empowering women through his fashion, the way that Chanel was known for giving women freedom.

During his lifetime, he was quoted as saying "fashion was not only supposed to make women beautiful, but to reassure them, to give them confidence, to allow them to come to terms with themselves."

Yves Saint Laurent's hallmarks in fashion include the imple navy blue pea coat over white pants first showed in 1962. His 1966 tuxedo jacket became high fashion statement for both sexes. The Beatnik chic underlined Saint Laurent's statement on equality of the sexes.

His creation was a statement of women asserting for equality – clothes that resembled like men's clothes but were tailored to the female form – reflecting that women could wear "men's clothes."

Famous designers expressed sorrow for the death of the legendary designer, including Tommy Hilfiger and Francisco Costa of Calvin Klein.

"Mr. Saint Laurent revolutionized modern fashion with his understanding of youth, sophistication and relevance. His legacy will always be remembered.”