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In memoriam
I'm sure you've heard by now, but in case you haven't, Yves Saint Laurent died from brain cancer on Sunday. This is incredibly sad news. Monsieur Saint Laurent had battled depression and drug addiction for much of his life, and while his health had been poor for several years, his death came as a surprise for many. Saint Laurent is one of the most influential and important designers of the 20th centry; we can thank him for safari jackets, tie-neck blouses, leopard print, and, most importantly, pants. He was also one of the first designers to operate his business in the modern way by opening a ready-to-wear house and licensing his name in order to drum up capital. The Times' coverage is the most extensive; I particularly suggest checking out this collection of YSL YouTube clips, from The Moment Blog. I highly recommend Alicia Drake's thoroughly researched and beautifully written book The Beautiful Fall (which also has a lot of juicy Karl Lagerfeld dish). I also recommend the book Yves Saint Laurent, 5 Avenue Marceau and its accompanying documentary, which, if you're lucky, you can sometimes catch late at night on the Sundance channel. It's a bit dry, but it's the rare chance to see the master at work.

The silver lining in this cloud is that the very capable Stefano Pilati is continuing Saint Laurent's legacy with chic clothing that remains true to his vision. Nevertheless, stock up on vintage YSL while you can...