French fashion king Yves Saint Laurent (C) died at the age of 71 in his Paris home on Sunday evening after suffering months of declining health. (File Photo)

French fashion king Yves Saint Laurent died at the age of 71 in his Paris home on Sunday evening after suffering months of declining health.

"Gabrielle Chanel gave women freedom. Yves Saint Laurent gave them power," the designer's business partner Pierre Berger said.

"Like all creators, Yves Saint Laurent had two faces, a public face and a private face," said Pierre Berge, the designer's long-time friend.

Saint Laurent won his name at the age of 21 when he was the chief assistant of Christian Dior. His first collection that introduced the widely-copied "trapeze" silhouette with narrow shoulders and flared skirt became a big victory on the balcony.

After Dior's death in 1957, he became the chief designer for three years before he was conscripted to serve in the French army during the Algerian War of Independence.

After the service, Saint Laurent returned to Paris in 1962 and established his own label, YSL, which was financed by Berge. From then on his empire grew steadily.

Saint Laurent's best-known creation was the 1966 women's tuxedo pantsuit, "Le Smoking," which combined traditional masculine tailoring with a feminine silhouette. Other signature pieces included safari jackets, peasant smocks and the Mondrian-print minidress in 1965.

He retired from haute couture in 2002 and was rarely seen in public.

YSL Rive Gauche line is still in production under the direction of Stefano Pilati, who succeeded Tom Ford with Saint Laurent's blessing in 2004.