Yves Saint Laurent Dead At 71

It’s a sad day for fashionistas.

Yes, you’ve read the headline correctly: designer Yves Saint Laurent, who 1955 debut at Dior changed women’s fashion forever, died in Paris yesterday, taking his signature specs with him.

Though Laurent started in women’s wear, he eventually branched out to dress well-heeled men, like Nicolas Sarkozy. The French president released a statement today lamenting Laurent’s passing,

[He] was the first to elevate haute couture to the rank of art and that gave him global influence.

[Laurent] infused his label with his creative genius, elegant and refined personality [and was] convinced that beauty was a necessary luxury for all men and women.

Meanwhile, American President Bush had this to say: “Yves? Never heard of her.”

For those off you curious, Laurent had been fighting brain cancer, which only he could make sound glamorous.