Yves Saint Laurent quits fashion

YSL has dominated the fashion scene since 1958

PARIS, France -- Legendary French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent has announced his retirement after more than 40 years at the top of the haute couture industry.

Laurent, 65, said during a news conference at his Paris salon on Monday that he was closing the fashion house he started 40 years ago.

He did not give an exact reason, although he said he had been battling ill health and depression for years.

Laurent read a prepared statement and left immediately afterward without answering any questions.

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But his business partner and co-founder of his house, Pierre Berge, said he believed the designer had decided to retire because he was no longer comfortable with the direction that the fashion world had taken.

"It's not very fun to play a tennis match when you are all alone," Berge said.

Laurent popularised pantsuits for women and introduced the daring see-through blouse.

He said his goal was "not just to make women more beautiful but to reassure them and given them confidence."

Speculation over his impending retirement was rife in the French media at the weekend.

Le Journal du Dimanche newspaper described him on Sunday as "a living legend."

The Algerian-born designer rose to prominence in the fashion world in 1958 at the age of 21 with a line for the House of Dior that drew immediate acclaim.

Laurent unveils his spring collection in Paris in 1964

His early collections were known for their maverick quality: the first YSL tuxedo for women surfaced in the 1966 autumn-winter collection and became a fashion landmark.

Laurent possessed a keen sense of what women wanted, introducing stylish, tailored pantsuits in the 1970s that remain a wardrobe staple of today's working woman.

He tended to concentrate his efforts on the young, and they responded: his "chic beatnik" look -- a black leather jacket, knit turtleneck, high boots -- is still seen on the street today.

In 1999, Italian fashion house Gucci Group NV bought the ready-to-wear and beauty Yves Saint Laurent labels, while he retained control of haute couture.