Yves Saint Laurent co-founder Pierre Bergé Dies

With immense sadness we have learned of the passing of Monsieur Pierre Bergé, Founder with Yves Saint Laurent of the Maison. We share the grief of his friends and family and all those who loved him. Thank you Pierre Bergé. You will be missed.

A post shared by SAINT LAURENT (@ysl) on Sep 8, 2017 at 5:31am PDT

French fashion tycoon Pierre Bergé, who helped Yves Saint Laurent build his global empire, has passed away aged 86.

He died at his home in South of France after suffering a long-term illness which was met with great sadness across the industry.

“It is with a deep emotion that I have learned of Pierre Bergé’s passing, he welcomed me with kindness since my first day at Saint Laurent. His advice and his support have always guided me. A great guru in French culture has left us” said Anthony Vaccarello, Artistic Director of Yves Saint Laurent.

This was echoed by the President and CEO of Yves Saint Laurent Francesca Bellettini, who said ““Mr. Pierre Bergé was always ahead of his time. He believed in the power of creativity. He believed that art, fashion and culture could change lives and the way we live.”