According to The Daily Beast, Loulou de la Falaise, muse and collaborator to the late legendary French designer Yves Saint Laurent, died Saturday at the age of 63. 

Falaise had worked by Laurent’s side from the early 1970s up until his retirement in 2002. Her daring person style was a great source of inspiration for the designer. 

Loulou de la Falaise. Image found on twitpic.

Falaise was born in Britain to Maxime de la Falaise, a model and actress, and Comte Alain de la Falaise, a French aristocrat.  Falaise was destined to be part of Laurent’s inner circle. 

This woman with dark blonde hair and a generous smile was eclectic, wearing unexpected clashes of color and print with masses of necklaces around her neck. She is credited for inspiring “Le Smoking,” YSL’s famous tuxedo for women’s evening wear. 

Even so, Falaise proved to be more than just a pretty face. Part of her role at YSL was to design jewelry. She is known for creating the costume jewels for YSL haute couture and Rive Gauche ready-to-wear collections, producing four collections per year during her 30-year stay with the brand. When she left the brand, she launched her own clothing line which she worked on until she died. 

“For me, a muse is someone who looks glamorous but is quite passive, whereas I was very hardworking,” said Falaise in an interview to Vogue Italia. “I worked from 9 a.m. to sometimes 9 p.m., or even 2 a.m. I certainly wasn’t passive.” 

Falaise leaves behind a grand legacy in the fashion industry. She will always be remembered for her personal style and important contributions to the famous French line. 

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