PARIS, June 4 (Xinhua) -- Tributes continued to pour in form the world as people from all walks of life took a moment to reflect on the life of French couturier Yves Saint Laurent, one of the greatest fashion icons of all times.

    In a statement following St. Laurent's death, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said: "with his death, one of the biggest names in the fashion industry, the first ever person to raise the Haute Couture to the rank of art by providing a global reach had passed on."

Designer Yves Saint Laurent appears on the catwalk after his fall/winter 1999/2000 haute couture fashion show in Paris in this July 21, 1999 file photo. Saint Laurent, who died on June 1, was part of a distinguished line of French designers from Coco Chanel to Christian Dior who consolidated the reputation of Paris as the fashion capital of the world. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    His wife, Carla Bruni, who is a former model, said that her "heart was shaken" after learning of the death of this "artist and an exceptional human being."

    For Pierre Berge, a longtime friend and associate, described the departed as a person who "revolutionized haute couture" and "supported the evolution of women," adding that all women around the world owe him something in a certain way."

    Fashion designers too were not left out, with many acknowledging the influence of "a man who changed views over women's fashion, and whose work had gone on to inspire many artists."

    "He understood the modern woman before everyone. He designed trousers for active women which were very comfortable and at the same time very sophisticated," world renowned Japanese designer Hanae Mori said in a statement.

Model Laetitia Casta (L) hugs fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent after his Spring/Summer 1999 high fashion collection in Paris in this January 20, 1999 file photo.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    He had set his look "firmly on the active woman" and "anticipated changes with precision before going out of his way to change the world. He is the emperor of the world of fashion," said Jun Ashida, another respected Japanese couturier.

    "He was my idol, a model for me to follow, both for his creativity and his clothes... but also for his own personal style," said French couturier Jean Paul Gaultier.

    "He was arguably the greatest stylist of our time," Italian designer Giorgio Armani was quoted as saying echoing remarks by Valentino who had earlier described St. Laurent as a "great person beyond any imagination" and his style as simply "incomparable."

    "We all knew him so well because we studied him. His creations were all the rage, especially when it came to the masculine and feminine game: Yves Saint Laurent was the first to make a sexy woman look sterling in a male costume," said Italian stylists Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, both confessing to have been "inspired by him so many times."

    "St. Laurent took everything he did to the next level, he sought some sort of perfection in everything he did," according to British designer Vivienne Westwood. "He was a genius, an icon."

    On the other hand, press reports have laid emphasis on the fact that the French fashion guru had actively supported evolution of the society and responded to the needs of working women, who wanted to dress comfortably and elegantly at the same time.

    From major national newspapers to tabloid pages, the American press was unanimous in paying special tribute to "YSL," with the respected New York Times describing his life and times as "45 years of a sewing giant."

    British newspaper also joined the fray as The Times wrote: "He gave the woman elegance and consistency at a time when fashion, just like the world itself, had fallen into chaos."

    "The St. Laurent style was an expression of social change," said the Financial Times, which recalled that he had "sparked controversy in 1968, a year of revolution in Paris, when he declared that women should wear pants every day."