Yves Saint Laurent passed away at his Paris home Sunday evening at the age of 71. The famed fashion icon, who retired from haute couture in 2002 but was still involved in the foundation he had created with former lover Pierre Berge, had been ill for some time.

Reactions to his death came quickly from all over the world. "Chanel gave women freedom, Saint Laurent gave them power," said his former lover and long-time business partner Pierre Berge.

"Yves Saint Laurent invented, revisited and transformed everything in the name of one passion: to make a woman shine and allow her to free her beauty and mystery," said Francois-Henri Pinault, chief executive officer of PPR SA, the world's third-largest luxury-goods company, quoted by Bloomberg.

"The greatest couturier in the world," claimed prominent French newspaper Le Figaro in a banner headline.

"He was the first to elevate haute couture to the rank of art - and that gave him global influence," said French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

A towering figure of 20th century fashion, Saint Laurent was widely considered the last of a generation that included Christian Dior and Coco Chanel and made Paris the fashion capital of the world, with the Rive Gauche, or Left Bank, as its elegant headquarters.

Following his departure from Dior, his name and the familiar YSL logo quickly became synonymous with all the latest trends, highlighted by the creation of the Rive Gauche ready-to-wear label and perfume, as well as astute licensing deals for accessories and perfumes.

Aside from the revolutionary outfits he created, he was also the first to use black women on the catwalk. In fact, Saint Laurent is responsible for launching British model Naomi Campbell's career, doing her first campaign for them in the 1990s.